Current Affairs   Will PM intervene or will robber barons kill CCP? The Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) has warned that it will cease to exist and its actions will become invalid in case the government fails to re-promulgate the Competition Ordinance on or before November 28. Addressing a press conference, Chairman CCP Khalid Mirza said that the commission had formally kick-started the required process by sending an official communication to the Ministry of Finance for taking steps to re-promulgate the Competition Ordinance 2009 till November 28, 2009. He said that according to one legal opinion the president could re-promulgate the Competition Ordinance 2009 even after the cut-off date of November 28, 2009, but in that case the CCP would cease to exist after Nov 28 till the re-promulgation of the ordinance. He said that the World Bank and the donors were closely watching Pakistan and inaction on the Competition Ordinance would hurt the already tarnished image of the country. He confirmed that strengthening the competition mechanism in Pakistan was one of the conditions of the World Bank under the Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper (PRSP-II) related lending. He stressed that it was imperative to insert a clause in the re-promulgated ordinance to protect the decisions taken by the CCP during Feb 2, 2008 till date otherwise its action would become invalid. The CCP, he said, had taken decisions in about 20 cases pertaining to various sectors, including cement, stock exchanges, educational institution, telecom, LPG, refineries etc whereas its proceedings were continuing against sugar, fertilisers, PIA, Takaful insurance etc. Responding to a question, he ruled out any possibility of the CCP’s verdict in case of sugar by the next scheduled hearing of November 26 as the sugar industry will apply for the application of the leniency clause, as already conveyed to the CCP in the last hearing. The Supreme Court in its July 31, 2009 verdict declared the PCO actions as illegal and unconstitutional and directed the government to get approval of parliament on all ordinances, including the Competition Law, till November 28, 2009. If the government would not get parliament’s nod till the stipulated timeframe, the CCP actions would become invalid. To another query about the industrial sector objections that the CCP would hurt investors’ confidence, he said that those, who were ‘dishonest’ drumming up such kind of propaganda. He said that being affiliated with the World Bank and the IFC, he brought around $300 million investment in Pakistan and he knew that the investors would only like to invest in the countries, where favourable law and order situation and competitive laws exist. Answering another objection raised by industries for increasing right of appeals through high courts, Khalid Mirza said that the judicial reforms aimed at reducing the number of appeals as one full right of appeal was sufficient in accordance with the dispensation of justice and practices adopted around the world. A top diplomat confided to The News that some very important donor countries were watching the CCP issue very closely and that the Gilani government’s action would speak volumes about it matching its words of creating a corruption-free and exploitation-free environment with equally laudable deeds.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Balochistan CM’s endorsement of a new social contract--a popular demand could make the difference Balochistan Chief Minister (CM), Nawab Aslam Raisani, accompanied by the CMs of Punjab and Sindh, immediately after visiting the mausoleum of Quaid-e-Azam said, “We all have come to the mausoleum of Father of the Nation to pay respect to the Quaid-e-Azam”. He said that he had written in the Visitors’ Book placed at the mausoleum that Pakistan should be given a new social contract. This, Aslam Raisani added, should be on the basis of the 1940 Lahore Resolution. While the Punjab CM, Shahbaz Sharif, reciprocating the sentiments said that no problem is insurmountable. “I assure you that no issue would be big enough an issue not to be resolved”, he said and added, “We would resolve them through mutual consultations and trust and that is the basis of our interaction”. “I promise that we will do our level best to make Pakistan a welfare state,” he said, adding that Pakistan would dispel the unfounded concerns and wrong propaganda. Shahbaz said that Pakistan would be strong when all the four provinces become prosperous. “This is the basic principle”, he remarked. The Punjab chief minister said that discussions were going on at the NFC meeting in the same spirit. He said that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani is fully in contact with all the four provinces. Speaking on the occasion, Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, said that the NFC was a very important issue. He said that the political governments at the centre and in the provinces better understand the needs and requirements of the people. It may be recalled that talking of the need of a new social contract was once made a taboo in Pakistan and any one doing so was branded a traitor. It is heartening to note that the chief ministers of the provinces have shown their inclination not only to delineate and discuss about it, but also to come to a resolution of this issue, which has been instrumental of giving a perception of utter exploitation of the smaller provinces and root cause of discord. The rebel Baloch leaders demanding provincial control over the natural resources of the province and the nationalists in Sindh and NWFP advocating full autonomy to the provinces in accordance with the 1940 Lahore Resolution all believe that the 1973 constitution with as many as 17 amendments tailor-made to serve the needs of the subsequent rulers has outlived its purpose and become totally redundant, especially in respect of a new social contract between the federating units and the province’s right on its natural resources. One would only hope that the Punjab, Balochistan and the Sindh chief ministers were not playing to the gallery and really meant what they said and would soon after arriving at a consensus on the NFC Award make a beginning of the talks on provincial autonomy also, without which the country could not witness the harmony, peace and understanding among the provinces so urgently needed for progress and prosperity of the federating units and thereby the Federation itself.     [2] Comments               Post Your Commets   Damn the Children’s day It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men. ~Frederick Douglass Welcome to a nation that is filled with children and broken souls, welcome to Pakistan. What more can be said on Children’s day, today (20th November) that can express the sad state of young ones in our country, grim reality inflicted upon children by broken adults. We can only start to pay tribute to the youth and the young ones by realizing how broken we are, because without this bitter dose we can’t understand how these children would turn into our clones, zombies, unthinking beings. Where inappropriate education system, child labour and human trafficking are already encircling an ordinary child another dynamic that hits us hard upon our nose is increasing number of child sexual abuse, rape and incest, the taboos in our society. Total number of cases reported last year was 1838 including 1298 (70%) cases of girls and 540 (30%) of boys. The statistics also showed that rural cases were higher in the Punjab, Sindh and AJK, whereas in Federal Capital, NWFP and Balochistan the cases are mainly from urban areas. According to details a predominant number of cases from Punjab have been reported in the year 2008, with the ratio of 68 % while number of cases reported from the NWFP and Balochistan are fewer since such cases are hidden due to the tribal customs of these provinces and local compromises. The cases in the rural communities are more as compared to the urban areas overall. This is directly related to the fact that 70% of the population lives in rural areas. The findings also indicated that newspaper monitoring of court convictions reported in the year 2008 showed that court sentenced only 68 abusers. Recent reports of Sana, a 3 year old, raped, murdered and dumped by traffic police officers and a four year old’s murder/rape in Balochistan have opened a pool of questions for the policy makers. One such question can be: why don’t we have child ministry when 42% of our population (male 33,293,428/female 31,434,314) by estimate comprise of children under 14 years of age. Minor sexual assault is ubiquitous in every strata and every community, and despite the fact that majority of the child sexual abuse cases are kept shrouded in secrecy, as many as 1838 cases have been reported during 2008 including 1298 cases of minor girls and 540 of boys. Many NGOs may be working for children and singing anthems of child rights, but on a national level do we have any law that addresses Child Sexual Abuse separately, every one’s guess is No. In a nation that has more than 42% of demographic child ratio, we are unable to set separate laws for children and cases of child abuse. Pakistani law treats child rights along with that of women’s, which is another debate altogether. The laws that deal with this issue are Pakistan Penal Code 1860 and Hudood Ordinance 1979, Sindh Children Act (SSA) and Punjab Children Ordinance 1981 (PCO) but the cases of child abuse are on the rise. More recently Anti-Terrorism Courts have indulged into punishing rape/murder criminals like in Sana’s case, which had ended into death sentence of the two rapists is encouraging but we need more law making in terms of sexual assaults of minors as UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1990, ratified by Pakistan and legislation such as the Domestic Violence Bill are attributed to adults and children alike, but it is high time that we treat children as a part of our society, not as aliens, or a sub-species of our being. Children are our future, but what exactly are we putting forward for them when there are no separate laws to protect them. No doubt we have vulgar education system and bad health care for children since we don’t have child ministry. Meaning: we don’t have a voice on governmental level that can be raised for children and their rights. We can toot our own horn about Domestic Violence Bill and relegated PPC, inherited by the British, now the world requires us to keep time and change. Addressing minor issues needs a lot more work than it seems, increasing sexual assaults on minors can also be an indication that steps should be taken to eliminate pornography and launch awareness drives that can help people to not only understand the gravity of the situation, but also report these cases, which usually go unreported due to social pressure. This children’s day we can only pray for better legislative moves from the law makers and parliament, because we are loosing our young ones to perverts.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Despite deafening roars in courts, sugar barons invoking leniency clauses of CO-07 could be fined up to Rs50m only What we know all along is now also official that the billionaire boys club of our sugar barons played dirty and indulged in a criminal collusion to fix sugar prices and robbed the poor masses blind. After conceding its involvement in cartelization, the All Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (APSMA) has cleverly attempted to exploit a legal opening and conveyed to the Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) for invoking clauses of leniency of Competition Ordinance (CO)-2007 in an apparent bid to avoid substantial penalties. The CCP raided the premises of APSMA in three different cities in September and seized records including files and CDs. After holding a detailed inquiry, the CCP issued a show cause notice to APSMA, accusing it of cartelization and fixing the sugar price through illegal mutual connivance. The first hearing of this case was conducted on Saturday. Three-member bench of CCP, headed by Chairman CCP Khalid Mirza and comprising Member CCP Abdul Ghafoor and Member Legal CCP Rahat Kunain Hasan, conducted the hearing of the case against APSMA. It may be recalled that CCP on October 23 issued a show cause notice against APSMA after conducting a detailed inquiry. The relevant portion of the show cause stated, “According to the findings of Inquiry Committee, consumers in Pakistan are currently witnessing a crisis of non-availability and price hike of this essential commodity. Prima facie, there appears to be existence of a cartel in the relevant market. Given the grave nature of cartelization, which indicates serious violations of Competition Ordinance, 2007 in terms of Section 4 as stated in the Enquiry Report. Therefore, it is in the public interest to initiate proceedings under Section 30 of the Ordinance and to proceed as deemed appropriate by the commission in accordance with law in this regard”. But in the very first hearing, the APSMA accepted many charges framed by the CCP in its show cause notice and conveyed to the Commission that it might invoke provision of leniency for which formal application would be tabled before the bench of the Commission in the upcoming hearing expected to be held before the upcoming Eid. Displaying no signs of remorse or guilt, Chairman APSMA Iskandar Khan also talked to the media and said that APSMA did not want any confrontation and that APSMA would take care of things if mismanagement or flaws were found in its conduct. “We even did not oppose raids done by the CCP at our premises. Giving justification for seeking more time from the CCP, he said that they sought more time to reply to the show cause notice because the PSMA Punjab and Sindh branches were busy owing to start of the crushing season as well as they were busy in holding negotiations with provincial governments of Punjab and Sindh to resolve the lingering crisis. A senior official of CCP told on Saturday that the APSMA wanted to invoke provision of leniency under clause 39 of Competition Ordinance, 2007. Under the leniency clause, the CCP can exempt the applicant from all kinds of leniency and as soon as the company or association will apply for leniency the CCP will consider its case more favorably. Under the leniency clauses, the CCP has imposed fine to the tune of Rs50 million in case of association such as the APSMA, said the official. The section 39 of Competition Ordinance, 2007 states, the Commission may, if it is satisfied that any undertaking, which is a party to a prohibited agreement and is alleged to have violated Chapter II prohibitions, has made a full and true disclosure in respect of the alleged violation, impose on such undertaking a lesser penalty as it may deem fit, than that provided in section 38. Maybe it’s time for CCP to also take the opinion on this leniency bid by the millions of poor citizens who have been forced to buy sugar at exorbitant rates, if they can find it. Who spend hours in queues outside this utility store or another, face humiliation at the hands of the staff and the police and even then are not sure of getting an ounce of sugar. Our dirty sugar barons have made billions at the cost of the poor millions; the last thing they deserve is a leniency break for admitting their guilt.     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Nawaz offers his mediatory role in bleeding Balochistan--‘Wohi Qatal Bhi Karay Hai Wohi Lay Sawab Ulta The real significance of the much-awaited meeting between Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif revolved around the proposed long gestated Balochistan package the government wishes to announce in the current session of parliament. Nawaz Sharif offered his and his party’s mediatory role if the government wished in contacting the angry Baloch leadership at home and in exile in order to provide momentum to the reconciliation process. On the contrary, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and PML-Quaid (both Punjab-based parties) are reluctant in giving provinces more powers in the proposed constitutional package, Awami National Party Senator Haji Adeel said on Monday. “Both parties will have to change their attitude as strong provinces are essential for a strong federation. He said the PML-Functional had no objection to renaming the NWFP as Pakhtunkhwa and had supported the ANP’s proposal in the parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms. “The PML-N and Q are still obsessed with the idea of a strong Centre. These parties have objection if we rename any province,” he added. He said all parties, having representation in parliamentary committee, were taking a “keen interest” in finalizing the package as soon as possible. “We have already finished the reading of the concurrent list,” he said. Senator Adeel said all national parties were emphasizing on maximum provincial autonomy, while “The PML-N has laid its full focus on repealing 17th Amendment and opening avenue for the third-time premiership.” Thus, Punjab it seems still not willing to abolish the Concurrent Legislative List or reducing the centre’s portfolio to three subjects---foreign affairs, defence and currency. But a resolution of the issue of provincial autonomy is necessary to establish a genuine federal democracy, overcome a serious threat to the state’s integrity, and help the population of under-privileged units realize their basic rights. Both the PML-N and Q must need to understand that it is the right of self-governance to provinces that constitute the core issue and mother of all discords. No amount of palliatives like namesake halting of military operation in the troubled province, announcements relating to the withdrawal of all cases against Baloch leaders besides the killers of Blaoch political activists, particularly Nawab Akbar Bugti to be brought to justice would heal the wounds of the estranged Baloch nationalist leaders at home and in exile. Balochistan among the smaller provinces of Pakistan has remained worst exploited by the establishment, essentially dominated by the big brother Punjab, which saw a low level nationalist insurgency since 2002 that took on a wider and more ominous hue after the assassination of Nawab Akbar Bugti in 2006. The event brought otherwise relatively pacific tribes such as the Bugtis into the fray, with the Nawab’s grandson Bramdagh said to be leading an armed struggle under the umbrella of the Baloch Republican Army. The earlier insurgency that began in 2002 is reportedly led by the Balochistan Liberation Army, whose commander, Balaach Marri, the son of Nawab Khair Buksh Marri, the chief of the Marri tribe, was killed in unexplained circumstances in 2007. These two killings are only the most prominent tip of the iceberg of the deaths and disappearances of scores of Baloch nationalist political workers in recent years. Such developments have only added fuel to the fire of nationalist resentment and demands for control over Balochistan’s natural resources and political rights. Unfortunately, because these issues and demands have not been meaningfully addressed, growing anger and resentment has stoked separatist tendencies in the province and given birth to three more nationalist insurgent groups. A relatively moderate Khan of Kalat, whose father was responsible for the controversial accession of Balochistan to Pakistan in 1948, has been so filled with disgust at the treatment of his people that he has chosen self-imposed exile and talked of approaching the UN and the International Court of Justice against this denial of rights, and even threatened to reopen the whole issue of the original accession of Balochistan by his father. The PPP government, after coming to power in 2008, made all the right noises about applying a healing touch to Balochistan’s wounds, but practical steps didn’t match the rhetoric. The strategic, economic and political importance of Pakistan’s largest in area but poorest province would in itself be sufficient reason to engage its people for a political settlement rather than the use of force.     [15] Comments               Post Your Commets   Have rigging charges become routine or there is some truth in Gilgit-Baltistan elections? Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday rejected the opposition’s allegations of rigging in Thursday’s election for the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly. Gilani said rigging charges by the opposition had become a routine matter in Pakistan and such rumours did rounds after every election in the country. “Even the Pakistan People’s Party participated in 2008 elections under protest. It has become a routine matter in Pakistan,” the prime minister said, adding that every effort had been made to hold a free and fair election in Gilgit-Baltistan. There have been no major surprises in the first election for the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly. The PPP is set to claim majority in the 24-seat house. This success has been marred by some allegations of rigging. A number of pre-poll analysts had predicted a hung house – but traditionally Gilgit-Baltistan, accustomed to decades of rule from the centre, has leaned towards the ruling party. The turnout was generally good despite the bitter cold, but the refusal to allow women to vote in a few constituencies is a matter the authorities need to take up. The interest shown by people in the electoral process, with large rallies forming a part of the run-up to voting highlights the strong desire for democracy everywhere in our country. It is unfortunate that people have so often been denied this right through our history. There were other distinct trends that the major parties need to take note of. The MQM picked up one seat, finished in second place on several others and picked up an impressive number of votes generally. Certainly, the MQM's open condemnation of extremism went down well in an area that has remained largely calm despite the violence sweeping the north. So too did its call for constitutional rights for people and the grant of status to the region as the fifth province of Pakistan. It is indeed rather ironical that for over 60 years Gilgit-Baltistan has been denied this right, even as fierce nationalist movements in other provinces challenge the notion of the federation and seek to break away from it. This is something for the federal government to consider. While it has, since independence, stood on the sidelines of Pakistan, Gilgit-Baltistan comprises an area that is three times larger than FATA and over 12 times as big as AJK. There is immense tourist potential amidst mountains that include some of the tallest in the world and a unique culture that goes back centuries. There is then potential for the region to contribute to Pakistan and perhaps even to pull it back from the brink of extremism and international isolation. This needs to be recognized and further steps taken to pull Gilgit-Baltistan into the mainstream of the country.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Gilgit-Baltistan legislative elections Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) legislative council has held its first elections after gaining the status of autonomous legislative assembly with polling on 23 seats of the region comprising 6 districts of Gilgit, Skardu, Diamar, Ghanchey, Astur and Ghazar. The polling had been postponed in constituency LA-19 Ghazar-1 since candidate representing MQM has passed away. Official statistics put the total population of G-B region at 110,4190 people with 717,286 registered voters – 384,909 male, 332,377 female. Ninty-nine candidates representing 10 political parties are running against each other, while 165 nominees are competing independently in G-B polls on November 12. The breakup of 99 candidates is like this: 23 for Pakistan Peoples Party, 18 for MQM, 15 for PML-Q 4 for Awami National Party, JUI-F represented by 3 candidates, 2 for Tehreek-e-Insaf, 1 candidate representing Jamaat-e-Islami and 6 nationalist candidates are running for Gilgit-Baltistan Democratic Alliance. Three women candidates are also competing on general seats. Amina Bibi is representing PML-Q in constituency no. LA 23 Ghanchey 2, while 2 independent candidates are competing their way along with Amina. The voters are facilitated with 1,022 polling stations all over 6 districts to cast their votes in. Gender segregation has been observed as 253 polling stations are set up for women voters exclusively, while male voters will cast their votes in 258 separate polling stations. Around 153 polling stations are dubbed as sensitive, whereas 119 have been declared highly vulnerable in Gilgit-Baltistan region. Rahim Nawaz Khan Durrani, the election commissioner appointed for Gilgit-baltistan and AIG Younis Hajat Khan has stated that all the arrangements regarding polls and security have been made. After 1994, 1999 and 2004, these are the 4th polls taking place on the basis of political parties where nationalist party Gilgit-Baltistan Democratic Alliance is running in elections under one election symbol along with contemporary political parties, since the nationalists have boycotted all the elections held in G-B region previously. Representation by18 MQM candidates in different constituencies has given a new twist to the November 12 polls in Gilgit-Baltistan. The candidates from PPP, PML-N, MQM, and PML-Q had been addressing the people with their party manifestos, the independent nominees are vigorously campaigning for elections and pledge allegiance to the progress of G-B region before the masses. The candidates may promise moon and the sun to the people, only the ballot can tell. But as the anticipation rise on questions like: Which party will form majority in the assembly? Will the independent candidates play crucial role in November 12 G-B elections? We look forward to your views on Gilgit-Baltistan elections.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Hillary Clinton’s visit to Pakistan US secretary of state Hillary Rodham Clinton, during her visit to Pakistan, held meetings with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani as well as the political leaders of the country. She said her visit to Pakistan has marked the beginning of a new era of US-Pakistan relations. “We want to turn the page on relations between the US and Pakistan.” She said the US is pursuing a strategy with the help of Pakistani government and intelligence agencies which is in clash with the ideology of Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The top US diplomat was of the view that it is important to determine through a comprehensive strategy as to which groups of Afghan Taliban intend to come into the folds of the mainstream politics. The US has total confidence in Pakistan’s democratic government and the Pak Army, and the US appreciates the ongoing operation being carried out against the militants, Hillary Clinton said. However, she said, the US is concerned on all kinds of proliferation of weapons. According to our information there are people on both sides of the border who do not subscribe to the views of Al-Qaeda but they continue to remain under terrorists’ pressure. She said the purpose of her visit is to help fulfill the aspirations and needs of the people of Pakistan. Regarding impression created by the debate on Kerry-Lugar Bill that US trust on Pakistani security forces has weakened, she said some wrong perceptions have existed over a period of time in both the countries which need to be addressed. Can the US clarification on Kerry-Lugar Bill satisfy the people of Pakistan? Does the visit of US secretary of state herald beginning of a new era of relations between the two countries? Please, share with us your opinion on the visit of Hillary Clinton.     [47] Comments               Post Your Commets   JI’s referendum on KLL a successful rehearsal of bogus voting in their hopeful mid-term elections Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) true to its chemistry more akin to the Maulanas of Islamabad Lal Masjid and Swat’s Maulana Sufi Muhammad, who had made it no secret in publicly declaring that the existing parliament, judiciary and all other democratic setups are un-Islamic and must be done away with by force, but the JI differing in tactics believes in overthrowing the system by subverting it from within, went on the other day staging with fanfare of holding referendum on the Kerry-Lugar Law (KLL), which according the published reports today, has broken all previous records of bogus voting. It may be recalled that earlier the JI Amirul Momineen, General Muhammad Ziaul Huque in December 1984 had held a referendum in the county and the masses were given the option to elect or reject the General by answering the question phrased in a way that Zia-ul-Haq's victory was related to the process of Islamization in the country. According to the official result, more than 95 percent of the votes were cast in favor of Zia-ul-Haq, thus he was elected as President for the next five years. Similarly, General Pervez Musharraf, like his predecessor General Ziaul Huque, in 2002 undertook to legitimize his un-constitutional rule by holding a national referendum and had declared to have won 97.7 percent of the vote in a referendum he called to add five years to his term as president, but instead of basking in glory his government faced allegations of widespread voter fraud. Breaking all past records of vote frauds, JI referendum October 23 result said as many as 98 percent of the Pakistani people are against the United States and voted against the Kerry-Lugar law in a countrywide referendum organized by the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), former JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed said on Friday. Qazi said people had rushed to polling stations to show their resentment against the US legislation. “Through this law, the US government wants to impose restrictions on our madrassas, mosques and nuclear assets,” he said. While JI Islamabad chapter Amir Syed Muhammad Bilal, perhaps unaware of his former chief Qazi already declared the result, said that interest of people in referendum could be gauged from the fact that they received 10 ballot boxes full of ballot papers only from sector G-9/2. He said that counting of ballot papers would be completed by Saturday evening. Meanwhile some of the leading newspapers in their reports on JI referendum said that voters could cast votes on behalf of their entire family and more than once. The few hired hoodlums, who participated in the exercise, particularly the less educated among them, did not know what the Kerry-Lugar Law contained. In a ‘referendum’ camp at the Dhoke Kashmirian Chowk, organizers were seen asking simple people to mark the ‘No’ option. Most of the polling camps were set up outside mosques. The referendum was also held in Attock, Peshawar, Dir Lower, Swabi, Chitral and Buner. Among those who expressed their immediate reaction on the JI referendum, PML-N central leader Senator Pervaiz Rashid said that JI had to face frustration as only 18,000 votes were recovered from the hundreds of thousands of ballots against the Kerry Lugar Law. He said the so-called referendum was an insult to the country and, in fact, it was a deep conspiracy in favour of the Kerry Lugar Law.     [36] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will the ‘Ba-Ghairat’ Brigade ask their Taliban bombers to at least spare WFP relief operation in NAs? Since the Ba-Ghairat Brigade despite all the hullabaloo over the Kerry-Lugar Bill failed to raise any storm in the country leading to the fall of fledging democratic government or at least bringing their minus-one formula into reality, is it asking too much from them to advise their Taliban foot soldiers for halting their barbaric onslaughts at least on the UN’s World Food Program (WFP), which has been forced to close some 20 food distribution hubs, serving some two million people in northern areas of Pakistan. These distribution points served people from Swat, Dir, Buner and other areas, who had been displaced by the conflict in these regions earlier this year. The WFP, which meets the food needs of people in many parts of the country, has been forced to take this measure in view of the worsening security situation in the country. A spokesman has expressed the hope that the closure will be temporary and that the hubs can re-open soon. But we do not yet know if this will happen. New acts of terrorism in Islamabad have only added to the apprehensions. Earlier this month, the WFP office had itself been hit by a suicide bombing in which five people tragically died. The security situation, for the present at least remains volatile. It is ironic that while on the one hand the humanitarian situation in the country continues to worsen, and more desperate IDPs pour out from Waziristan, the agencies that could offer them some relief are themselves being targeted. That this is happening is proof of the sheer evil that makes the Taliban and their Ba-Ghairat patrons in the settled areas of Pakistan what they are. Over the past two years, humanitarian organizations have pulled out from across the NWFP and Balochistan. The prevailing security situation means international organizations will not have access to IDPs in Dera Ismail Khan and Tank. While agencies will continue to do what they can to help, working in some cases with local partners, their inability to reach affected people will have an impact on the assistance they receive. This is highly disturbing for every one, who cares for the suffering humanity.     [24] Comments               Post Your Commets   Senator Kerry mincing no words plainly tells KLB critics take it or leave it U.S. Senator John Kerry in a select briefing in Islamabad with six senior journalists, when asked whether the Kerry-Lugar Bill and its subsequent clarification had found acceptance in the power centers of Pakistan, said, “As of today, it seems to me that the Pakistani leadership, civil and military”, is on the same page. Senator Kerry was on a brief visit to Pakistan because he was “concerned that a straight forward effort has been misinterpreted”. He said that the US’ statement of clarification on the KLB “could not be clearer”. He cautioned, “We should not play to cheap galleries here”. He also said, “If you don’t want the money, say so. We’re not forcing you to take it”. The senator, returning to the U.S. embassy from a ‘brief lunch’ with PML-N Chief, Mian Nawaz Sharif, told that Mr. Sharif had asked for ‘further clarification’ on some points, but the senator did not see that as a problem and said the meeting was “very positive”. He used the same words for his meetings with Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Kayani and ISI Director General Gen. Shuja Pasha. Responding to a question relating to reported pull out of U.S. forces from Afghanistan border posts near South Waziristan, making it easy for Taliban to cross over into Afghanistan and thus subvert the Pakistan Army’s Operation Rah-e-Nijat, Senator Kerry said he had heard no such thing. When asked if Generals Kayani or Pasha had raised the presumed removal of US border forces as an issue, Senator Kerry categorically said, “They had not”. He said that this was a difficult time for the US economy and when allocating taxpayers’ money to foreign countries, lawmakers have to be satisfied about its usages. He said this was particularly true in the case of Pakistan where in the past Pakistani governments had allocated American money for purposes for which it was not meant. He was asked questions to clarify the wording with regard to caveats associated with spending the KLB money on Pakistan’s nuclear programme. Senator Kerry said that those caveats were to make sure that Pakistan did not spend this money on purposes for which it is not intended. Senator Kerry finished on a light note by saying that he had “never had so much difficulty in trying to give away $7.5 billion”. He said in these difficult times, Americans wanted to know why so much money was being given to Pakistan when “We need it badly in California or Oklahoma or other parts of the US”.     [41] Comments               Post Your Commets   Terrorists have no religion, no sect—Pakistan and Iran must join hands to crush them A suicide bomber killed seven commanders of Iran’s elite Revolutionary Guards and up to 49 other people on Sunday in an attack that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad charged had been plotted from neighbouring Pakistan. Iran foreign ministry called in Pakistan’s charge d’affaires over the bombing, which targeted one of the Islamic republic’s most prestigious institutions in the region. Several tribal leaders in the majority ethnic Baluch Sistan-Balochistan province also died in the bombing, which left many others wounded. The chief prosecutor in Sistan-Baluchestan, Mohammad Marziah, said that Abdolmalek Rigi, the head of the shadowy Sunni rebel group, Jundallah (Soldiers of God) had “accepted the responsibility” for the attack. Among the dead were General Nur-Ali Shushtari, deputy commander of the Guards’ ground forces; General Mohammad-Zadeh, Guards’ commander in Sistan-Baluchestan province; the Guards’ commander for the town of Iranshahr and the commander of the Amir al-Momenin unit, the Fars news agency said. Three other commanders from the adjacent province of Kerman were also killed, Fars added. The Iranian president hit out at neighbouring Pakistan over the bombing, accusing it of sheltering Jundallah militants. “We became aware that some of agents in Pakistan were cooperating with the main elements of today’s terrorist incident and we consider it to be our right to demand the rendition of these criminals,” Fars quoted Ahmadinejad as saying. Parliament speaker Ali Larijani said the United States was implicated. “We consider the recent terrorist attack to be the result of US action. This is the sign of America’s animosity against our country,” The United States denied any involvement. “We condemn this act of terrorism and mourn the loss of innocent lives,” State Department Spokesman Ian Kelly said in a statement in Washington. “Reports of alleged US involvement are completely false,” he added. Meanwhile, Iran summoned Pakistan’s envoy to Tehran over Sunday’s deadly bombing against the nation’s Revolutionary Guards, claiming those behind the attack had used Pakistani soil as a springboard, the ISNA news agency said. In Islamabad, Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit condemned the suicide attack in Iran. The spokesman said both the countries enjoyed brotherly relations, adding, “We condemn the sad event in Iran.” FO spokesman rejected the Iranian ambassador’s statement about the presence of head of the Jundollah group in Pakistan. The spokesman said Pakistan and Iran are cooperating in the war against terrorism as both countries enjoy friendly relations. Basit said that the war against terrorists in Pakistan’s tribal area of South Waziristan reflects Islamabad’s commitment that it will not allow its soil for terrorist activities in any country. Pakistan is not involved in terrorist activities, he said, “We are struggling to eradicate the menace of terrorism.” He said that such statement could sour relations between the two countries.     [33] Comments               Post Your Commets   Nawaz, Fazal last minute siding with Taliban try ditching Army operation in Waziristan Following waves of terror incidents including the audacious one at the Army General Headquarters, the need for launching Swat-like operation in South Waziristan was all the more felt, as the call for such an offensive from almost all the segments of the society was heard loud and clear, yet the army this time for Swat operation aftermath bickering insisted on a more formal clear assurances, if not from all the socio-political outfits, at least from the main stream parties before they could confidently go for action with all the blessings and support of the entire nation. It was in this backdrop, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani had arranged an in-camera security briefing by the Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaque Pervaiz Kayani to all the duly invited leaders of the political parties, but he was fairly miffed when informed at the eleventh hour that the until recently extremely healthy Mian Nawaz Sharif would be missing out on the COAS security briefing ‘due to bad health’. Knowledgeable sources claimed that Nawaz Sharif probably did not want to be viewed as having personally and directly endorsed full military action against the Taliban in a Waziristan operation and particularly so at a time when the Taliban had already started vengeful strikes in different parts of the country, while JUI leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman was also found missing from the briefing almost on the same grounds, as he had taken a flight to Turkey a day before this meeting. However, undaunted by this last minute betrayal, Pakistan army began on Saturday a ground operation against Taliban militants in the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border. South Waziristan is the main stronghold of the Tehrik-e-Taliban, or Taliban Movement of Pakistan, an alliance of more than a dozen militant groups that is fighting the government and wants to impose hardline Islamist rule. These Taliban have been responsible for a wave of violence across the country since mid-2007, when the army crushed an Islamist movement linked with South Waziristan based at Islamabad's Red Mosque. As well as numerous suicide bomb attacks against military, government and foreign targets, the al Qaeda-linked Pakistani Taliban were accused of killing former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in late 2007. A missile fired by a U.S. drone aircraft on August 5 had killed Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud, who replaced by Hakimullah Mehsud has vowed to exact revenge. On the other hand, the army has now set its sights on South Waziristan in the hope of rooting out the most potent domestic threat to the state. The army says about 10,000 hardcore fighters are in South Waziristan, an area of around 6,620 square km (2,550 square miles), although some analysts estimate more. Most are members of the region's ethnic Pashtun tribes who have battled intruders for centuries. Foreign militants, including about 1,000 Uzbeks, some al Qaeda Arabs and even a handful of militants from Western countries are also there. Militant factions from other parts of Pakistan, in particular the south of Punjab province, are also based with the Taliban in South Waziristan. Osama bin Laden is believed to be hiding somewhere along the Afghan-Pakistani border, though analysts doubt he would be in an area the army is about to attack.     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Nazims’ tenure expires, alternate set up decision yet to be taken, nincompoops galore As the tenure of the existing Nazims expired on October 16 (Friday) in absence of any alternate arrangement, the local government system in the country has gone haywire, as their likely replacement by the restoration of commissioners was made public some six/eight months ago, which for reasons could not come into force thus far, and consequently the bureaucracy, in their inherent nature of switching over to the rising sun, held back its hands of cooperation with the Nazims, leaving the ongoing projects in jeopardy. Meanwhile, the presidential spokesman, Farhatullah Babar said that although the local government (LG) system all over the country has ended on October 16 (Friday) after completing its four year tenure, the Nazims will continue till the new city councils come into being, said the presidential spokesman. Babar said that no summary to this effect has so far been received by the presidency and thus no action has been taken. “It is true that the tenure of the LG system ends on October 16, but the Sindh Local Government Ordinance-2001 provides that these Nazims shall continue till the new city councils are formed. As the elections have not been held, the president is under no obligation to take any action in this regard,” he added. When asked as to why the provinces sought permission from the president to appoint administrators, he said that former President General Pervez Musharraf had made a binding that no amendments could be made without the permission of the president for six years. “The six year period comes to an end on December 31 this year, following which the provinces will be free to choose any kind of system,” he informed. But why should the provincial governments go for choosing any other kind of system-- why can’t the existing system be improved suited to the requirements of the present governments--how far its abolition is justified simply because it came into force in the previous regime--- why this insistence on the colonial commissioner system, which not very long ago was highly disliked by all and sundry?     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will Punjab CM make way for a free, impartial enquiry into the Lahore terror incidents? The provincial capital came under attack on Thursday as terrorists unleashed coordinated raids on three law-enforcement facilities, killing at least 19 people, including 14 security officials and 41 others sustained injuries, in fierce fighting, before security forces brought the situation under control. All nine attackers were also shot dead by security personnel, officials said. The three attacks were launched within an hour of each other – starting 9.30am with a raid on the building that houses FIA offices and followed by assaults on the Manawan Police Academy and the Elite Force Training Centre at Bedian Road. The brazen attacks on tightly guarded security sites came just six days after a highly organized attack on the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi. A TTP faction – the Amjad Farooqi group – has claimed responsibility for the attacks, reported a private TV channel. Thursday’s attack on three different sites was the fifth major terror incident in the city during the current year. At least 50 people were killed in the previous four attacks. On June 12-- Sarfraz Ahmed Naeemi, a leading anti-Taliban cleric, was assassinated, with six other people killed and five injured, when a suicide bomber detonated himself at the Jamia Naeemia madrassa in Garhi Shahu. On May 27--suicide bombers detonated a vehicle loaded with 100kg explosives near the offices of the capital city police officer (CCPO) and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Around 27 people were killed and 326 injured. On March 30--around 10 terrorists entered the Police Training School Manawan. Eight cadets and one civilian were killed while 93 cadets and civilians were injured. On March 3--twelve terrorists armed with hand grenades and sophisticated weapons attacked the visiting Sri Lankan cricket team near the Liberty Roundabout. Six cricketers were injured, while six policemen and two civilians were killed. The attacks in Lahore took place despite warnings from intelligence agencies that this would happen. Some of these warnings had appeared in the media. In spite of that the Punjab government, it seems, didn’t take it seriously, yet it found an opportunity making use of it for their political purposes and forced postponement of the by-elections already scheduled by Election Commission. If we are unable to stop the militants despite such precise intelligence, there is quite obviously something that is very wrong. We need to find out where these oversights or lapses or negligence are occurring and why. In times of war there can be no room for mistakes, especially ones that lead to death and destruction on this scale. Will the Punjab chief minister being the chief executive of the province own this responsibility and make way for a free and fair enquiry into the matter, as the general public including the aggrieved people would like some heads must roll for the criminal lax and laxity on the part of the authority. We must find out why it has occurred and come up with ways to stop the other bombers, who even now may be chalking up their plans and detecting security weaknesses they can exploit.     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Punjab backs out Quetta NFC decision, while Sindh re-iterates on revenue generation amid multi-criteria The Punjab’s stance on the National Finance Commission (NFC) award is unchanged and it still believes distribution of resources must be population-based, the Punjab Assembly has been told. The treasury and opposition benches, while debating on the progress made in the inter-provincial meetings on the distribution of resources, were assured that Punjab’s stance on NFC Award remain unchanged, as the province still believes in population-based distribution of resources. Earlier, following NFC Award meeting at Quetta, Sindh Chief Minister, Syed Qaim Ali Shah had said that our main demand i.e. for multi-criteria for the NFC Award was accepted by all the provinces including the Punjab. As per multi-criteria, the Award would be determined on the basis of population, poverty, backwardness and revenue generation. Our demand that GST on Services should go to the provinces was also acceded to and so was our demand for considering revenue generation as the criteria for determination of award, which is a "big achievement", he added. He told that the Federal Government wanted to levy Value Added Tax (VAT), but it has not yet been levied and we will talk to them on this issue. "It is a separate issue and has no relevance to the NFC", he explained. The Chief Minister said that the next meeting of the NFC would be held in Peshawar on October 25 after which the award expected to be announced within a month. Meanwhile, Sindh Assembly members, agitating on Punjab backing out on the Quetta NFC meeting decision, re-iterated their demand for making the revenue generation a criterion for resource distribution. General sales tax (GST) should be distributed on the basis of “revenue generation” as per the National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, or Sindh will not get much benefit from a decision to transfer GST on services to the provinces, said Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) parliamentary leader in the Sindh Assembly, Syed Sardar Ahmed. He, however, welcomed the NFC’s reported decision in Quetta to transfer GST on services to the provinces. Ahmed appreciated the efforts of the Sindh chief minister during the Sindh Assembly session on Tuesday, but said that “sentimentalism” should be avoided over the proposed decision to hand over GST to provinces. “We have lost many things because of the emotional approach. The real question is the mode of transfer or the criteria of distributing GST among the four provinces,” he said, adding that if GST on services is distributed on the basis of collection, Sindh will not get anything, because GST on phone and electricity goes to Rawalpindi and Lahore where headquarters of these utilities are located. Ahmed demanded that GST to provinces should be given on the basis of revenue generation, because distribution on the basis of population will not benefit Sindh. Sindh will suffer if revenue generation was not made a criterion of the NFC, he said.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Executive, judiciary thundering vows on sugar supply at even Rs40 per kg, proved no more than ‘bharaks.’ The country has run out of sugar supply following the Supreme Court’s decision about sale of the commodity at even Rs40 per kilogram (a quantum jump from the previous Rs28.50 per kg) at the retail shops across the country, according to reports published in the media. It further said that Sugar has once again disappeared from the open market due to a halt in supply from sugar mills, following the Supreme Court decision of fixing its retail price at Rs40 per kg. Sugar is not available at most of the general stores and department stores of the city. Some big wholesale outlets have also not put sugar on sale, stating that it is out of supply. “Only 10 per cent of the total required stock of sugar is available in the open market as its supplies were cut off,” said Asghar Butt, president of the Lahore Sugar Dealers Association. He said immediate steps should be taken for resumption of supplies; otherwise, the sweetener would totally vanish from the market. The Punjab government reportedly had succeeded in convincing some sugar mill owners to start supplying sugar at the rate fixed by the apex court, but even these few owners of such mills, a part and parcel of the government failed to keep up their promises. As such, most of the registered sugar dealers are not getting sugar from the mills. Punjab government registered over 1,100 dealers in the province for sugar trade to implement the Supreme Court orders. Though the government successfully registered the sugar dealers, but it has failed to ensure sugar supply to all the dealers. The latest report said that the provincial government has finally shifted the entire onus of the implementation of the SC order to the low-grade magistrates, who have been asked to monitor sugar prices and penalize shopkeepers for overcharging. The situation in the Frontier province is reported to be worst—a Peshawar wholesale dealer said that they were without sugar for the past three days as mills had stopped its supply following issuance of a notification by the NWFP government to sell sugar at Rs40 per kg as per the Supreme Court order, while consumers complained acute shortage of sugar in the market, of which the profiteers making most fleecing consumers by selling sugar at Rs80/100 per kg. Sugar supply situation in Sindh and Balochistan provinces are no different, as dealers said that sugar was available in ample quantity after the government introduced quota for dealers; however, the problem started following the judicial intervention into the matter and the millers refused to sell sugar at the new price. They said that they were getting it at Rs45 per kilogram and it was available at Rs47 per kg to public, but now the millers had stopped supplying sugar to them and resultantly, they ran out of supply for retailers, which has shot up the prices up to Rs50/60 per kg. Meanwhile, the hapless consumers wondering as to whom should they approach for the redressal of their problems, as it is nearly over three months the sugar crisis kept pestering them, despite all the high sounding promises and pledges of the provincial, federal governments and the orders of the superior courts, which for them thus far have proved no more than ‘bharaks’.     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   Obama wins Nobel Peace Prize US President Barack Obama won the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in a stunning decision designed to encourage his nascent initiatives to reduce nuclear arms, ease tensions with the Muslim world and replace unilateral American action with international diplomacy and cooperation. Nobel observers were shocked by the unexpected choice so early in the Obama presidency, which began less than two weeks before the February 1 nomination deadline. White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Obama woke up to the news a little before 6am EDT. The White House said Obama would accept his Nobel Peace Prize in person. The Norwegian Nobel Committee lauded the change in global mood wrought by Obama’s calls for peace and cooperation but recognized initiatives that have yet to bear fruit: reducing the world stock of nuclear arms, easing American conflicts with Muslim nations and strengthening the US role in combating climate change. President Asif Ali Zardari felicitated President Obama on winning the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize. In his message, Zardari hoped that Obama would continue his struggle to achieve and promote peace in the world.     [37] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will the new IJI in offing powered by mighty army, judiciary succeed in its plan to bundle out PPP? Since most of the characters of our present day free media, who after the restoration of ‘independent’ judiciary---now seem to have arrogated themselves the responsibility of leading Pakistan to the restoration of its national pride---currently embarked on raising storm in a tea cup-- taking a cue from the army’s unusual way of expressing its reservations against the conditionalities of the Kerry-Lugar Bill-- and subsequent gang up of all the right –wing parties under the banner of major opposition party in the national assembly, Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP)’s federal government reminisces the repeat scene of those black days, when ISI had clandestinely doled out Mehran Bank’s fund to a set of journalists besides the rightist political outfits including molvies and maulanas for holding back PPP from the corridors of power. The absence of the PML-N leader Mr. Nawaz Sharif from Pakistan has been interpreted many ways, but what he says from London seems to hint that the days of President Asif Ali Zardari and his party in power are about to be over. He says he tried to advise Zardari to take the right decisions only to have a deaf ear turned to him. His second-echelon leadership is busy with its wrecking ball and his younger brother has gone and met the army chief before the army decided it didn’t like the Bill. The PML-Q, gradually disembarrassing itself of the moral burden of having supported a pro-American general in power, wants to reinstate itself by vocalizing against the Bill. The All Parties Conference (APC) under the aegis of Jamaat-e-Islami rejected on Tuesday the Kerry-Lugar Bill, saying it is no less than a ‘death warrant’ for Pakistan. The JUI of Maulana Fazlur Rehman is buttressing its rapidly eroding prestige among the pro-Taliban Pashtuns of the Tribal Areas by breaking away from the government on the Bill. All these fast developments taking place in the political arena and the hyping bandwagon of the same set of media mercenaries drumming up a sense of uncertainty indicate to this fact that making an issue out of the Kerry-Lugar Bill a new IJI is in the offing, which wants nothing short of pulling down the government. The media going through its most emotional convulsion hoping the Supreme Court will get the PPP down through a ruling on the NRO, triggering a mid-term election to bring the PML-N to power. Pakistan is once again politically unstable because the parties that seem “united” against the PPP do not really agree on any realistic future course of action. The ANP and the MQM inside the PPP alliance were most driven by “realism” over the Bill because of the way they have been targeted by the Taliban. Their mind is not fuzzy over the internal threat, but they cannot help being mindful of the odds facing Mr. Zardari and his party. They don’t want a mid-term election and are aware that the army is not in their camp. Therefore both are “consulting” — with Altaf Hussain going public with his concern over the important quarters that are opposed to the Bill. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has taken the debate over the Kerry-Lugar Bill to the National Assembly, where it can be either accepted or rejected on the basis of a majority vote. The bill is vital for Pakistan, not only in terms of the unprecedented high grant in aid from the US, but also for the survival of the fledgling democratic government. Meanwhile, the U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs PJ Crowley said on Thursday there is no threat to the government in Islamabad in view of the Pakistan Army’s public opposition to the Kerry-Lugar Bill, which is not in line with the official position of President Asif Ali Zardari’s government, “I don’t think it is a threat to the civilian government in Pakistan. Quite the opposite, I think that actually what you are seeing is a government in Pakistan that is becoming more confident. It is becoming more assertive. It is doing things that are important to, you know, the Pakistani people,” he was quoted as saying. “We are committed to working closely with Pakistan. We are not going to impose US solutions on Pakistani problems.” Besides, the US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly denied that the aid package for Islamabad undermine Pakistan’s sovereignty, saying its monitoring mechanisms are designed to protect US taxpayers.     [26] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will the parliament’s outbursts of national pride lead to outright rejection of KL-Bill? The National Assembly is set to hold debate on Kerry-Lugar bill, the US aid tripling annual civilian aid for Pakistan, during its proceedings beginning this evening today. At the same time, the Kerry-Lugar bill is expected to consume a fair share of the corps commanders’ time, when they meet in Rawalpindi on Wednesday. There are indications that the US aid legislation is likely to find little support at the General Headquarters and may ultimately sour relations between the armed forces and the government, which favours the bill and claims it as a major foreign policy success. The certifications include confirmation that the government continues to cooperate in investigating nuclear proliferators; is making sustained efforts against terrorists, including blocking support by elements within the military and intelligence network for terrorists, taking action against terrorist bases and acting on intelligence about high-value targets provided to it; and that the security forces are not subverting the political and judicial processes. President Asif Ali Zardari rejected criticism that the conditions in the Kerry-Lugar Bill undermined the country’s sovereignty. The president said the bill was the first Pakistan aid legislation that did not require U.S. presidential certifications every year. ‘It only required certification by the Secretary of State that Pakistan was moving along the path of democracy, nuclear non- proliferation and drugs control. ‘Who in Pakistan under the present democratic dispensation would disagree with these goals?’ he asked. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani hailing the Bill said, “The passage of the Kerry-Lugar Bill is a big success of the government as it is for the first time that the United States has supported a democratic government in Pakistan instead of dictatorship,” he said while addressing a meeting of the parliamentary party of the coalition partners of the government. Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, while endorsing the GHQ views, dubbed the Kerry-Lugar Bill as a complete failure of the incumbent government and its lobbyists sitting in the US. “Besides other questions relating to terms and conditions, the language used in the bill about Pakistan and its institutions is highly objectionable that we, the members of parliament, must reject while adopting a collective approach,” Chaudhry Nisar told. Responding to a counter question related to the Pakistan armed forces that are already paying sacrifices in the war on terror, the opposition leader said the bill was actually targeting our institutions, including the Army. Meanwhile, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has advised the critics of the bill to read it carefully. She said the bill would help Pakistan improve education and other social areas. The US was in a serious engagement with Pakistan, she added. US Senator John Kerry said the manuscript of Kerry Lugar Bill has been sent to President Barack Obama for signature. US Senator said this Bill is a clear sign of direct relations with the people of Pakistan. “Pakistan will be given $7.5 billions aid under KL-Bill. We want good relationship with the government of Pakistan.” He said this Bill would not harm the sovereignty of Pakistan. While the Pakistani media and opposition leaders are going ballistic about how the Kerry-Lugar bill impairs Pakistan’s sovereignty, Indian government and the media riling Obama Administration for having given Pakistan unqualified support and assistance. A former Indian intelligence chief observed, both the Indian lobby in US and the Indian government fought to reduce, if not prevent any aid been given to Pakistan. In articles and on television, Indians have admitted that the main reason they failed was due to the tremendous lobbying and diplomatic efforts of the Pakistani government.     [46] Comments               Post Your Commets   Punjab government out to make history in governance An official been tasked with investigating the case of three brothers who served as medical officers at a hospital in Rawalpindi with fake degrees, a private TV channel reported on Sunday. Rawalpindi Medical College Principal Dr. Musaddiq directed Prof Dr Shugufta of the District Headquarters (DHQ) Hospital to immediately submit a report on how the three brothers were able to serve at the DHQ Hospital with fake degrees. In a letter to the Health Ministry, the DHQ Hospital employees stated that the brothers – Syed Salahuddin, Syed Allauddin and Syed Naseeruddin – were serving in the hospital as deputy and senior medical officers. They stated that the brothers had been hired on a one-year contract that had been regularised after a while. The letter stated that the brothers received their fake degrees from the Kabul Medical College in Afghanistan. According to the channel, the brothers applied for the posts of dispensers in 2004 and 2005 at the same hospital, but failed to get the jobs due to fake matriculation degrees. According to the initial report, Salahuddin was serving as the deputy medical superintendent in the Emergency Unit, Allauddin served as the medical officer for the ENT (ear, nose and throat) Department, while Naseeruddin was employed as a neurosurgeon. The brothers went on the run after the media published news about their fake degrees. The report said that the brothers’ job orders were issued by the Punjab Health Department. It was also revealed in the report that Riffat Shaheen – a nurse at DHQ hospital – had been promoted and was now serving as a medical officer.     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   Has Sharifs’ sudden feeling of insecurity anything to do with UN probe into Benazir’s assassination making progress? Sharif brothers’ sudden worries over insecurity, leading to Punjab government’s demand for the postponement of by-elections including the one in which Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was one of the candidates, has sent the political analysts here wondering what may be the actual reasons for such timid behavior of the lions of Punjab running away from electoral fights and proving the claims about their boosting popularity up to 70/80 percent in phony opinion polls. Sharif brothers and their supporters after winning elections in one particular belt of Punjab and especially, after the assurance from their handpicked judiciary unqualified protection had started behaving like the unchallenged rulers commanding and threatening every institutions, political parties, Generals including the Army Chief, who in their opinion had collaborated with President General Pervez Musharraf in toppling Nawaz’s government and presently standing in the way of his trial under Article 6 of the constitution. In contrast to this, the recent clandestine meeting of Shahbaz accompanied by the leader of the opposition, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan calling hideously in the darkness of night on the Army Chief, Ashfaque Pervaiz Kayani has given rise to many speculations, especially in the context of Nawaz’s leaving the country along with his family initially on the pretext of performing his customary ‘umra’ in the last week of Ramazan and then staying away in London/Dubai mysteriously, while the country needed the leadership at home most in these days of horrific challenges, especially in Waziristan and lately U.S. threat of expanding drone attacks in Balochistan. Meanwhile, the Punjab government sure of the favorable court orders has rushed approaching Lahore High Court for getting the by-polls in the province, including the one on which Nwaz is to contest, postponed on the pretext of intelligence sleuths’ imaginary or real reported terror threats in the province during polling, which the rivals pillorying the Punjab government for their running away from the elections attributed this to the PML-N’s drop in its popularity graph and Nawaz not willing to take any risk of losing any election at his stage, when the judiciary flexing its muscle on the NRO issue, likely to disqualify President Zaradri, leaving no option for the government to hold mid-term general elections. Knowledgeable sources on the other hand drawing attention towards the reported fast progress made by the UN mission probing Benazir’s assassination besides the other day a Nawaz confidant media anchorman participating in a talk show on a Lahore based TV channel made startling disclosure that Zardari is after Nawaz’s life, which all the more gives credence to UN probe mission is on right track soon laying hands on the mastermind of Benazir’s assassin/assassins.     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   Sugar crisis: Confusion worse confounded Notwithstanding, the twists and turns of the governments at Islamabad and Lahore, the suo motto hectic activities at the high courts in Lahore, Peshawar and Karachi and of late, the Supreme Court of Pakistan being seized with the situation reprimanding and rebuking the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association and the Punjab government, there seems to be no relief to the people, as the sugar crisis, which had erupted weeks ago last Ramazan, fast drifted from bad to worse, piling miseries to the people left unprotected to the profiteers and exploiters fleecing them at will. The Supreme Court of Pakistan directed the government on Friday to issue a notification setting the price of sugar at Rs40 per kilogramme across the country until the submission of a report by a proposed inquiry commission. The court also formed the commission it proposed earlier, and appointed Competition Commission of Pakistan (CCP) Chairman Khalid Mirza to head the body, authorising him to work out the cost of production and mill owners’ profit. Meanwhile, CCP Chairman Khalid Mirza said Friday we are in the middle of an investigation and the raids were conducted on the three sugar mills, while the preliminary investigations found out that it smacks of irregularities in the sugar price. However about the sugar price fixation, Chairman CCP said that he would only suggest the Supreme Court what should the appropriate price be, otherwise, price determination is not the job of CCP. Reacting to the apex court rebuke for filing an appeal against an LHC decision that sugar be sold at Rs40 a kilogram and stress it should have focused on ensuring this happened instead of challenging the verdict, the Punjab government has taken over sugar mills. According to a report, government officials have been deployed in the mills, while police contingents have been sent to guard the mills’ gates. Sugar Dealers Association Chairman Asghar Butt said uncertainty prevailed in the sugar market after the sugar mills failed to offer a single bag for sale. Chaudhry Abdul Waheed, a former executive committee member of the Sugar Mills Association, said they were helpless in the face of the Punjab government’s action. “We will not sell sugar at Rs40 even if the government takes away all of our stocks,” the report quoted him saying. Consumers out in the market in search of sugar complained its non-availability in the open market even at the whimsically asking price, as the stockholders and wholesalers have held back the supply altogether since the announcement of the court order, while the rising pressure and short supply at the government-run utility stores, buying two kilo sugar bag standing in the never-ending queue is a full-time job of a man with special stamina and patience.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Most Pakistanis reject US partnership: poll An overwhelming majority of Pakistanis continues to reject the US as a partner in the country’s fight against militancy, to a recent poll conducted by the International Republican Institute (IRI) reveals. The findings are based on face-to-face interviews with 4,900 Pakistani adults conducted between July 15 and August 7. The organisation, financed by the US government, found that 80 percent of the respondents opposed the US assistance in Pakistan’s fight against terrorism – a 19 percent increase since March. Moreover, 76 percent opposed the US-Pakistan partnership on missile attacks by US drones. There were no respondents from some areas in the NWFP and FATA. More than 70 missile strikes have been carried out in northwestern Pakistan over the last year, killing top militant commanders and fighters – along with civilians. Former leader of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Baitullah Mehsud also died in a drone attack on August 5. The poll also found only 13 percent did cite terrorism as the most important issue facing Pakistan. Washington says defeating insurgents in Pakistan is vital for stabilising neighbouring Afghanistan. US believed the militants directed much of the Afghan insurgencies, who have sought safe haven in Pakistan’s lawless Tribal Areas. However, it is not known what percentage of Pakistanis reject the financial/ military assistance from the U.S. and the international financial institutions like the World Bank/IMF/Asian Development Bank etc. If the percentage is similar or even nearer to the one, who continues to reject the U.S. as partner in the country’s fight against militancy, then isn’t more realistic to conclude that the country is soon sure to slip over to the Taliban, which might follow the U.S. and Nato forces shifting their headquarters from Kabul and Qandhar to Peshawar and Quetta.     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   Sharifs, the champions of democracy running away from elections Lahore High Court (LHC) has accepted the petition for hearing to defer the bye-polls in the province and issued notice to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Punjab government and the candidates to appear in the court on October 2nd. LHC further directed that anyone interested in the case might also appear. Meanwhile, PML-N leadership came under attack from some of their former allies after the Shahbaz Sharif government in Punjab moved court here on Monday for postponement of by-election in two National Assembly and as many Punjab Assembly constituencies. The polls are scheduled for Nov 7. The government sought the delay on the plea that the law and order in Punjab was not conducive for the holding of the election. Khwaja Haris, Advocate-General Punjab, and counsel Mustafa Ramday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court on Monday saying that the Election Commission (EC) did not consult the provincial government before announcing the new schedule. During the hearing today Justice Mian Saqib Nisar said in his remarks that Punjab government has nothing to do with the bye-polls. “EC holds the election and how a constituency can be left without a representative.” The vacant constituencies are NA-55, where the most high profile contestant is Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed; NA-123, where the leading contestant is PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif; and NA-271 (Kharan). The vacant Punjab Assembly constituencies are PP-82 (Jhang) and PP-284 (Bahawalpur). Rashid on Monday said, “They (the Sharifs) are blocking my way to the assembly,’ ‘The fact is that Nawaz Sharif doesn’t want to be in the National Assembly, he doesn’t want to act as the opposition leader in the House,’ he said. Rashid accused the PML-N leaders of running away from the contest – a sentiment, which was echoed by other politicians who were formerly in the PML-N camp. While Sheikh Rashid appealed to Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, to take suo motu notice of the situation, both the PML-Q and the Jamaat said they were going to become party to the case in LHC. Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi asked caustically: Why would a set-up that prides itself on good governance pull away from election in a couple of constituencies? Hafiz Salman Butt, tipped as the Jamaat-i-Islami nominee to face Nawaz Sharif in NA-123, also minced no words in criticising the Shahbaz Sharif government. ‘The law and order was much worse at the time of the general election in Feb 2008 as compared to now,’ he argued. ‘The constituency has been unrepresented for so long.’ Pakistan People’s Party was less categorical in its response, but its secretary-general for Punjab, Samiullah Khan said, ‘No democrat and no democratic government would want to stay away from the process of election. ‘Our position is the same as it was in the run-up to the 2008 general election, when the law and order in the country was much worse than it is now. We do not support any further delay in the holding of by-elections.’     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   US threatens air strikes in Balochistan The United States is threatening to launch air strikes on the Taliban leadership in Quetta, the Times reported on Sunday. The threat comes amid growing divisions in Washington about whether to send more troops or reduce them and start targeting the terrorists. In a leaked strategic assessment of the war, top US and NATO commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal warned that he needed reinforcements within a year to avert the risk of failure. Although no figure was given, he is believed to be seeking up to 40,000 troops by the end of this year. Last week McChrystal denied any rift with the administration, saying, “A policy debate is warranted”. The Biden camp argues that attacks by unmanned drones on Pakistan’s Tribal Areas, where many Al Qaeda leaders are thought to be hiding, have been successful. Sending more troops to Afghanistan has only inflamed tensions. The Times story quoted “senior Pakistani officials in New York” as saying that the US had asked to extend the drone attacks to areas of Balochistan, including Quetta. There has been tacit cooperation over the use of drones although publicly Islamabad denounces their use. Some British officials told the Times drone attacks on Quetta would be “unthinkable”. Western intelligence officers have alleged that Taliban sympathisers have helped some of the insurgency’s leaders to move to Karachi, where it would be impossible to strike. It is now quite clear that the U. S. is in mood to listen to any of our government’s repeated assertions that the drone attacks in its ultimate analysis have proved to be counter-productive, as killings of scores of innocent civilians for annihilating one or two high valued targets ends up breeding further hatred and anti-American feelings among the people at large, which could have well be avoided by sharing intelligence with the Pakistan authorities, who by now have made their marks as regards its capability to handle all sorts of militancy. The U.S. instead much to the disappointments of the people of Pakistan has by now seem to have opted to extend its drone attacks to our already restive province of Balochistan. Making a realistic assessment of the grim situation, it is high time now for the government and the people of Pakistan to look for a way out of the fire and frying pan too, as the nation cannot afford to let either the Taliban or the U.S. have a complete sway over our sovereignty.     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   US Senate votes to triple aid to Pakistan All efforts of Indo-Zionists to stall U.S. aid to Pakistan fell flat, as the American lawmakers refused to lend ears to the barrage of conjectures and insinuations fired upon for scaring away the American lawmakers that the fund they would be providing to Pakistan might be misused or misappropriated by the existing rulers painted untrustworthy through their vituperous propaganda, blatant lies and disinformation kept churning out of the rumours factory working overtime and even the good name of the Transparency International was also blemished in the process. US Senate rubbishing all these baseless allegations against Pakistan voted on Thursday to triple non-military aid to Pakistan to roughly 1.5 billion dollars per year through 2014 in a bid to build trust and cooperation. US President Barack Obama’s special envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan, Richard Holbrooke, called the vote “a very important step forward” for sometimes tense relations between the US and Pakistan. The bill, approved on a voice vote, had been agreed upon between the Senate and House sponsors of legislation passed separately by each chamber earlier this year. The sponsors are senators John Kerry and Richard Lugar and Representative Howard Berman. The measure also had the “full support” of key members of the Obama administration, Senate aides said. It was expected to come before the House of Representatives soon. The aid, which will have to be approved by congressional appropriators each year from 2010 to 2014, is aimed at a wide range of development efforts, from funding Pakistani schools to the judicial system and law enforcement agencies. Upholding Pakistan government’s genuine concern, the condition of cooperation with India has been removed from the bill, while a new condition of cooperation with the neighbours on war against terrorism has been included in the amended bill. The condition on Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan has also been struck out in the new draft.     [19] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan’s concern on rising Indian influence in Afghanistan stands vindicated In the clearest statement to date of Washington’s reservations about the rising Indian economic and political profile in Afghanistan, the top American general in charge of the war against the Taliban and other insurgents there has said India’s increasing influence in the insurgency-wracked country “is likely to exacerbate regional tensions”. In his ‘Commander’s Initial Assessment’ on the war in Afghanistan made public on Sunday, General Stanley A. McChrystal said the situation there is “serious” and “deteriorating”. Though a significant section of his report emphasizes the need for a change in U.S. strategy and the way U.S. forces deployed there “think and operate”, the section on “external influences” is likely to grate on New Delhi’s ears because of its implication that India ought to scale back its presence in order to placate Pakistani fears about growing Indian influence. “Indian political and economic influence is increasing in Afghanistan, including significant development efforts and financial investment. In addition, the current Afghan government is perceived by Islamabad to be pro-Indian”, the McChrystal report notes. But it adds: “While Indian activities largely benefit the Afghan people, increasing Indian influence in Afghanistan is likely to exacerbate regional tensions and encourage Pakistani countermeasures in Afghanistan or India”. India has extended more than $1 billion to Afghanistan in financial and development assistance and is training the Afghan police force and bureaucracy. In recent years, it has been asked by key European countries like Britain and France to step up its assistance even as the U.S. has warned of a negative reaction by Pakistan. Though the McChrystal report falls short of prescribing that India scale back its presence in Afghanistan, the implication is clear: the U.S. is dependent on Pakistani support for the war in Afghanistan, Pakistan’s capacity to use extremists to hurt American interests remains high, and that India should realize its assistance to Afghanistan might provoke Islamabad into taking “countermeasures”.     [17] Comments               Post Your Commets   Isn’t the moon-sighting committees are the biggest source of discord and the sooner these are sent packing the better? The Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee it seems has totally lost the confidence of the people in general and the ulemas across the country in particular, which resulted in the great divide celebrating two Eids in the country besides generating a controversy leading to the exchange of barbs between the ulemas on the one hand and the ruling Awami National Party (ANP) of the Pakhtoonkhawa and the central ReH Committee on the other. The observance of Ramazan and celebration of Eids on separate days in Pakhtoonkhawa and at some Paktoon dominated pockets of other provinces will echo in the forthcoming session of the NWFP Assembly on September 30. The coalition partners including Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) seem divided over the issue as the senior partners are advocating celebration of Eid in the light of the announcement of Masjid Qasim Ali Khan, while the junior partner wants celebration with other parts of the country. “Instead of further dividing the Muslims, we should try to unite them particularly on such important occasions,” remarked a PPP leader. The ANP has supported Masjid Qasim Ali Khan and local Ruet-e-Hilal Committee by observing Ramazan, when Mufti Shahabuddin Popalzai announced sighting of Ramazan moon, while the central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chief Mufti Muneebur Rehman announced the moon had not been sighted. The ANP leaders argued they were trying to resolve the issue once and for all and suggested observance of Ramazan and Eid with the Saudi Arabia. It may be recalled that the people of NWFP have been observing and celebrating Ramazan and Eid on different days due to the divided decision of the central and local Ruet-e-Hilal committees. By following Saudi Arabia, they said they could unite the people and end this controversy forever. The members of local Ruet-e-Hilal Committee had always complained that evidence for moon sighting collected by them were not given importance by the central committee and that caused division among the Muslims.     [23] Comments               Post Your Commets   Mochi Gate style pronouncements aside, will the courts accede to CPP prayers? A constitutional petition was filed on Thursday in the Supreme Court, praying for nationalization of all 80 sugar mills of the country, keeping in view the alleged hoarding and price hike of the essential commodity by the sugar cartel. The petition was filed by the Communist Party of Pakistan through its Chairman Engineer Jamil Ahmed Malik under Article 184(3) of the Constitution making the federal government and 80 sugar mills owners as respondents. The petitioner contended that PML-N Quaid Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, President Asif Ali Zardari, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Speaker National Assembly Dr Fehmida Mirza, Humayun Akhtar, Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Islamuddin Sheikh, Chaudhry Pervez Elahi and Hoti’s family are all owners of these sugar mills and there is no check on the hoardings and price hike of sugar by the federal and provincial governments. Engineer Jamil requested the apex court to summon all the records from the departments concerned so that people could know the real facts about the ownership of these 80 sugar mills. The petition stated that in our dear friendly country China, all the industries, including sugar are owned by the government itself and no members of the ruling elite of the Communist Party of China dares to mint money as our politicians on the treasury benches as well as in the opposition are doing by hoarding and hiking the price of sugar. “A troika consisting of the federal government, sugar mafia and the Trading Corporation of Pakistan are in fact responsible for the hoarding and price hike of sugar,” the petition maintained. He recalled although the Lahore High Court has fixed the price of sugar at Rs40 per kg but instead of complying with the orders of the court, the sugar cartel is openly defying the orders of the LHC with the blessings of the federal and provincial governments and selling sugar openly for Rs50 to Rs60 per kg.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Is there any chance of Musharraf’s trial under Article 6, when all seem to be sailing in same boat? Though President Asif Ali Zardari has now denied granting his predecessor safe exit as a result of a deal arranged by the international powers with interest in South Asia, yet most of the knowledgeable know it very well that Pakistan made a client state by its rulers since its very inception had been at times seeking foreign stakeholders’ help and assistance even for resolving their internal disputes also—not to speak of waging ‘jihad’ and now counter-jihad financed by these stakeholders. Yet there is no dearth of the hypocrites in this country feigning as if something unique and unprecedented has happened, which has catapulted them down to the hard realities on the ground twisting their honour and pride of a sovereign nation---these charlatans shamelessly forgetting that not very long ago, they themselves were begging, beseeching and offering terms to deliver the ‘masters’ more than what Musharraf could do so for their privileged camouflaging as the democratic representatives of the country, even this too they owe very much to Joe Biden and John Kerry, who stayed in Lahore warning Chaudry brothers to keep a low-profile to see that the desired results were obtained, as planned. As regards putting the matter of trying Gen. (Retired) Pervez Musharraf for treason behind, is it not a fact that the Chaudhry court, repaying for the help of the ‘masters’ in their reinstatement, was the first one to have facilitated fulfilling their wishes of letting Musharraf go by simply declaring Nov.3 actions unconstitutional, had this court, which could go to the extent of desecrating constitution for one man’s job by putting the Supreme Judicial Council (SJC) in abeyance, really intended trying Musharraf under Article 6, who (except the foreign stakeholders, especially the one who sent a clear message to Musharraf by honouring ‘him’ with a New York Bar shield) would have stopped them from doing so. Therefore, if President Zardari today absolves his party from the discomfiture of bringing Musharraf to trial, he knows that the PML-N leader Mr. Nawaz Sharif and Chaudhry court too is riding in the same boat with him. The one stakeholder in Pakistan that has acted less rashly than the politicians is the Pakistan Army. It has seen more clearly the risks that would have affected Pakistan’s security if the demand for revenge had been met. The foreign stakeholders in the US and the UK must have found themselves in agreement with the GHQ in Pakistan over the issue. Their focus on the war against terrorism in Pakistan must have pushed them to agree. Saudi Arabia’s concern could have been linked to its view of the Pakistan Army itself. It simply did not want that Pakistani politicians should cause another trauma like the one the army experienced, when its chief was dismissed. Equally, it had to bail out a prime minister after he had fired his second army chief and got thrown out himself because after decades of living under the heels of military dictators, Pakistan simply could not be allowed to start hanging them. A more moderate approach, therefore, had to be recommended. The bigots’ demand for Musharraf’s head from a judiciary that he had fired was, given a number of factors, more a growl of revenge than a need for justice. It soon became clear when a broader view of justice suggested extending the dragnet of accountability to the dictators of the past, hanging the bodily remains of the dead dictators and their living supporters. A nation that has seen a lot of Taliban violence and had become inured to it wanted more violence.     [28] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will New York Obama-Zardari-Brown summit agree to give Pakistan individual focus? President Asif Ali Zardari has rejected the Obama administration’s strategy of linking policy on Pakistan and Afghanistan in an effort to end a Taliban insurgency and bring stability to the region. US President Barack Obama earlier this year appointed senior diplomat Richard Holbrooke a special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan in a move aimed at addressing the two states as a single arena of conflict. “Afghanistan and Pakistan are distinctly different countries, and cannot be lumped together for any reason,” said Zardari in an interview with the Financial Times on the anniversary of his first year in office. Zardari’s comments reflect Pakistan’s unwillingness to be aligned in a joint policy framework with neighbouring Afghanistan – an approach referred to as ‘Af-Pak’. Ending the Taliban insurgency on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border is only likely to be achieved by concerted military action by NATO forces fighting in Helmand and Kandahar and the Pakistan Army in Waziristan and other tribal areas along the border. Military experts say Taliban leaders travel across the Durand Line to avoid military pursuit. Zardari said Holbrooke had brought a “unique focus on relations with Pakistan” and acknowledged the emphasis Obama had put on Pakistan’s economic and energy needs. Zardari’s appeal for individual, rather than joint, focus comes ahead of a high profile meeting with Obama and UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown in New York later this month and Hillary Clintton’s visit next month to Islamabad. At these meetings, Zardari is expected to appeal for more financial assistance, which he says is essential to eliminate terrorism. “Pakistan does not have the luxury of time. Given the severity of internal security challenge the country is facing, it is critical that the economy is provided a strong stimulus as quickly as possible, so that maximum jobs are created in the shortest time,” he said. “If [international aid flows] are delayed beyond the next few months, the country will be forced to cut development spending as well as the provision of critical social services. You can then imagine how big a setback that could be for the global war on terror.” The New York summit between Obama, Zardari and Brown is viewed as an opportunity to give Pakistan individual focus and undo some of the slight caused by the Af-Pak approach.     [25] Comments               Post Your Commets   Has Nawaz anything positive beyond his destabilization mission? Double-dealer Nawaz with the mighty judiciary on the back, while religiously offering lip service to democracy and strengthening of democratic institutions, is out to confront and crush every one, who comes in his way of wearing the crown of Amirul Momineen. No wonder that after having inflicted severe damages to the federal government, he is out to destabilize the federation itself by denying the smaller provinces taking any stand for their regional rights, autonomy or self-governance. Nawaz, who was already under scrutiny of the Balochistan genuine struggling leaders for his playing host to the Raiwind encamped Baloch turncoats under training to raise a ‘Haqiqui’ Bloch brigades for subverting the Baloch struggle within, has now decided to take NWFP head on by conveniently forgetting his earlier during premiership stand on the issue, called for referendum for re-naming the province as Pakhtunkhwa. Reacting sharply, ANP Provincial President Afrasiab Khattak said the people of the province supporting the Nawaz League should review their party affiliation, as “PML-N is the enemy of Pakhtuns.” He said the name Pakhtunkhwa was the demand of the people of the province. He said there was no justification for holding a referendum on the NWFP renaming issue as demanded by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and thus the ANP rejected it, saying only the constitutional committee of the parliament could decide the issue. The ANP said the Nawaz League’s criticism of the ANP and its attitude towards Pakhtuns was condemnable. “Nawaz League is the enemy of Pakhtuns and still following the policies of Ranjeet Singh,” said ANP Provincial President Afrasiab Khattak while addressing a press conference along with party leaders. Khattak said the renaming of the province was an important issue and the provincial assembly had already unanimously passed a resolution demanding the province be renamed Pakhtunkhwa. Khattak said NWFP, FATA and PATA were no names. “It’s only Pakhtunkhwa but attempts are being made to make it controversial,” he said. Khattak said the PML-N made a demand for a referendum on the issue. “I propose referendums be also held on the name issue in Punjab and Sindh as only one language is not spoken in a province,” he said. He said there is a large number of Seraiki speaking people in Punjab and therefore referendum should also be held there. Khattak said no referendum was held when Lyallpur was renamed to Faisalabad and Montgomery to Sahiwal. The ANP leader said the largest political parties had also acknowledged the name Pakhtunkhwa and the name is no longer controversial. Khattak said the name Afghania was also acceptable, as given to this region by the founders of Pakistan. The ANP leader said Abasin was the name of a river and Khyber the name of an area and therefore could not be accepted as name of the province. “We can only accept Pakhtunkhwa or Afghania,” he said. Khattak said the ANP is cooperating with the parliament’s constitutional committee and wants to solve the problem within this constitutional body. “And if it could not solve the issue, we’ll stick to our stand and demand,” said the ANP provincial president.     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   Kurd sees no change after restoration of deposed judges Of course, a vast majority of the people would agree with the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President, Ali Ahmad Kurd, when he said the same archaic practices were still being followed, the behaviour and attitude of judges was also the same adding that the judges had granted leaves in very few petitions and rejected others without proper hearings. SCBA president was addressing a ceremony held at the Supreme Court to mark the beginning of the new judicial year. On the other hand, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in his address said the superior judiciary has been entrusted with the unique responsibility of ensuring that all state institutions function within their jurisdiction. He said SC and high courts were bound to intervene in accordance with their constitutional powers to protect the rights of the people, if any state institution crossed its limits. At the same time, Attorney General Latif Khosa said the judiciary must check any excesses and act against the exercise of arbitrary power and abuse of discretion. However, it must not lose sight of the fact that its duty is to adjudicate, not to rule. He said the court must maintain a balance between liberty and order. That Ali Ahmad Kurd has finally realized what this forum, commenting on the euphoria of what they called a historic judicial revolution in the history of the country, had humbly differed with the revolutionaries by exposing the conspirators, who at the very initial stage had hijacked the lawyers’ movement and used them for their political ends. Its very true and sad Mr. Kurd that after humble lawyers’ so many sacrifices in men and material nothing actually changed except the set of beneficiaries of the selective justice and that too in consequence of the changed political scenario. Mere rhetoric and some eyewash may help pave the way of the political agenda of one provincial political party, but it has nothing to do with the aims and objectives of the lawyers’ movement, which instead might further nurture great dismay and disappointment among the common lawyers and the masses. Meanwhile, it is to be seen whether SC ensuring all state institutions to function within their jurisdiction would be inclusive of themselves besides how the CJP and the AG reconcile to this precept ‘judiciary is to adjudicate, not to rule and the court must maintain a balance between liberty and order.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Sugar mafia challenges writ, Govt. still stuck to reconciliation policy at the cost of hapless people. Following negotiations between the high-powered ministerial committee, set up by the Punjab government, and the representatives of the Pakistan Sugar Mills Association (PSMA), failed to make any tangible headway and the millers on Monday in their petition filed in the Lahore High Court (LHC) prayed for a stay order against the court’s earlier order that fixed sugar sale price at Rs45 per kg, until filing of their appeal in the Supreme Court, the sugar crisis all across Punjab has further intensified, while suffering masses kept cursing themselves for having voted such nincompoops, who together with their powers both at the centre and the provinces including the ‘independent’ judiciary have failed to rein in the millers gone berserk. Earlier on Sunday, the negotiations between the high-powered ministerial committee, set up by the Punjab government, and the representatives of the PSMA failed to make any tangible headway after the millers once again refused to sell sugar at the Lahore High Court-fixed price. The courts do not fix prices of the commodity anywhere in the world,’ Javed Kiani, PSMA Punjab Chairman told reporters, while addressing a Press conference on Saturday. Millers said come what may--- they cannot afford to sell sugar at LHC-fixed price. Punjab media’s ‘able administrator and Khadim-e-aala’ timidly laying down arms finally agreed on their demand for engaging the prime minister to resolve the issue, who later in the day called on phone Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and requested him to summon a meeting of all the stakeholders to help end the deadlock. Meanwhile, PM Gilani said a meeting of the chief ministers would be held in Islamabad on Wednesday. “They would discuss a strategy to ensure provision of sugar across the country at a uniform rate keeping in view the ruling of the Lahore High Court in this regard,” he added. He said in fact, the federal government, in consultation with the provincial governments, had devised a strategy to provide sugar at Rs47 per kg, but the meeting would review the sugar price in the light of the Lahore High Court verdict.     [25] Comments               Post Your Commets   What took the wind out of Nawaz’s sail? Until the other day the lion of Punjab, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, who was seen spitting fire and fury, roaring hoarse ultimatums and warnings of dire consequences to the fledgling hotchpotch democracy, seems to have suddenly beaten back to his den, perhaps coughing up blood from his respiratory tract. Nawaz timidly withdrawing ultimatum his party’s information secretary had earlier hurled, which appeared rocking democratic dispensation in the country sending shivers in the spines of all well wishers of the system, announced that PML-N would not become part of any conspiracy for destabilizing a political government in an undemocratic manner. Better late than never, realizing the mistake he said the ongoing vicious campaign for last one week would neither produce desirable results nor benefit anyone. This is not all, Nawaz softening his stance, which he was earlier insisting on de-linking the issue of the repeal of the 17th Amendment from the constitutional reforms package – on Thursday agreed that all proposed amendments should be accommodated in a single comprehensive constitutional amendment package. Published reports said that the 29 points of the LFO, which later became part of 17th Amendment, all parties agreed on 20 points, however differences remained on the remaining nine. The pace of the proceedings of the committee had been slackened due to differences between the PPP and PML-N, which insisted that the repeal of 17th Amendment was a separate issue from rest of the constitutional amendments. On the other hand, responding to a question on the comments of Nawaz about the CoD, Information and Broadcasting Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira said on Thursday the Charter of Democracy (CoD) is not just a piece of paper and PPP government has been following its guidelines actively. He said a special committee headed by Senator Raza Rabbani had been constituted to follow the CoD in letter and spirit, with four members from the PML-N to look into the matter. He said the committee would give recommendations to address issues like the 17th Amendment and other constitutional matters. He said the recommendations of the committee had not been finalized and they would be made public after completion. On the trial of former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf, he invited the PML-N to table a resolution in parliament if they wanted to, saying that other political parties would decide for themselves whether to support the resolution or not. Meanwhile, political observers speculating this U-turn kept wondering what took the wind out of high-flying Nawaz’s sail and cited two very recent developments—one Musharraf’s hi-fi visit to Saudi Arabia on the invitation of the King Abdullah, which Rashid Qureshi, a retired major general and presidential spokesman during Pervez Musharraf’s regime, claimed highly ‘successful’ and said its outcome would surface within few days---secondly, the military top brass on Thursday met at the General Headquarters with the Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.in the chair reviewed the prevailing security as well as the political situation in the country. We do not yet know what new chapters have yet to unfold. But we must hope that the parties will continue to show a greater readiness to work together. To do so they need to develop greater maturity.     [22] Comments               Post Your Commets   Mere Musharraf lynching mantra may not outwit fiery Balochs A complete strike was observed in various parts of Balochistan on Tuesday on the appeal of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) against the killing of its leader in Hub the other day. Armed men had abducted Rasool Bakhsh Baloch, an important office-bearer of the Baloch National Movement (BNM) and a well-known human rights defender and social activist from Khuzdar, on August 23 and on August 30, his son had accused ‘some intelligence agencies’ of abducting him, a statement by the HRCP on Tuesday said. The Baloch leader’s son expressed the fear that Rasool Bakhsh might be killed. A day later, the abducted activist’s body bearing marks of torture was found hanging by a tree in Bela. The HRCP reiterated that the killing of prominent political activists could not be tolerated. These incidents had been a major cause of Baloch alienation from the state. The phenomenon of ‘Balochistan killing’ goes back to the days of Ayub Era in 1958, when the Balochs demanded their ancestral rights to own their “writ” in the province. Some localized uprisings occurred and were quelled, when the Mengal Tribe in February – April 1964 agitated against not being consulted in road-making project launched by the establishment in the area of Kalat, Sorab and Khuzdar. One Infantry Brigade plus was dispatched from Quetta. It disarmed the entire rebel force in two months. Hundreds of Balochs were jailed and their antique weapons were deposited in Kalat Armoury. In 1970s, Balochs, especially Marris and Bugtis once again raised their voice against persistent subjugation and oppression in the province and consequently Balochistan, which since very inception remained covertly under the army, experiencing bloody operation, resulting in unabated death and destruction all across the province till this day. Punjab stranglehold over the establishment in Pakistan is nothing new, but since the separation of eastern wing its predominance in Pakistan suddenly intensified, which started giving the feel all across the country, as it turned more overt and brutal, sparking inter alia the worst insurgency in Balochistan—the inhuman killings of Nawab Akbar Bugti--- Balach Marri, the son of prominent politician Nawab Khair Bakhsh Marri-- Balach Marri's brother Ghazan Marri ---the mysterious recent killing of three leading Baloch nationalist leaders and thousands of their tribesmen, women and children besides committing other war crimes. This shows there is no respite in Balochistan killings even after the restoration of hotchpotch democracy and the so-called independent judiciary in the country, while the situation continues deteriorating so much so that the Baloch leaders in exile including Hyrbiyar Marri and Khan of Kalat Suleman Dawood had requested the Baloch people for observing 11th August as the Independence Day and later Khan of Kalat Mir Suleiman Dawood in London formally made announcement of Council for Independent Balochistan recently. ‘Independent Balochistan’ is our aim and objective, therefore, we have formed a Council for Independent Balochistan’, he said. On the other hand, President Asif Zardari, as head of PPP and being of Baloch descent, made a public apology for all the wrong doings of the past against the Baloch people. This was followed by further conciliatory gestures by both the president and prime minister, which resulted in the release of political detainees and a relatively relaxed political environment. Sadly, the momentum was lost and the province insurgency taking a turn for the worse, as the Punjab leaders paying lip service to Balochistan cause are still busy with their old hackneyed tactics of raising a ‘Haqiqi Balochistan leadership for encountering the genuine leaders of Balochistan struggling for their province’s rights. Punjab’s mere Musharraf lynching mantra may not outwit fiery Balochs. Better rush for negotiated settlements with the genuine leaders of Balochistan, give them the maximum possible that they demand and try save whatever left from total destruction.     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Nawaz aspires to become ‘Amirul Momineen’, but views Ranjit Singh his role model. Nawaz Sharif has long been striving for an absolute control over the parliament, the judiciary as well as the military, having miserably failed in his brief last stint after encountering one President, one chief justice and three army chiefs, this time finding the situation ripe by taking the federal government a hostage with the hanging sword of his pliant judiciary, came out categorically demanding the trial of former president Pervez Musharraf and all his abettors, including then ISI DG and present COAS Gen Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani, under Article 6 of the constitution, according to a report. PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif’s spokesman Zaeem Qadri said the PML-N wanted the trial of Musharraf’s aides for abetting his unconstitutional actions. Asked if that meant trying Gen Kayani as well, Qadri said Kayani fell under the category of Musharraf’s aides as he had also seconded Musharraf’s actions in his capacity as the ISI chief, said the report. PML-N spokesman didn’t mention a word neither the Punjab media raised any question to him, how about trying their installed existing superior courts judges, most of whom on May 12, 2000 constituting 12-member Supreme Court unanimously validated the October 12, 1999 coup and granted Musharraf executive and legislative authority for three years from the coup date. Again in September 2007, Pakistan’s Supreme Court cleared the way for President Pervez Musharraf to seek another five-year term, when six of the nine judges, rejected a tangle of petitions against Musharraf and threw out a major legal challenge to his election plans. Neither was any mention made of the members of parliament who had voted endorsing and legalizing Musharraf’s take over. Nawaz Sharif seems to have been suffering from a complex psychological problem, as under the intellectual influence of the great philosopher poet Allam Iqbal, he kept chanting (far from practicing) the Muslim way of life that Iqbal preached, while on the other hand their hearts and minds remained focused on the so-called glorious era of their historical and cultural hero, the lion of Punjab, Ranjit Singh, who not only ruled all across the Greater Punjab, but also kept the adjoining territories of the Frontier, Balochistan and Sindh in his tyrannical suzerainty. This chauvinistic mindset was seen more overtly getting in vogue especially, since the day that blighter Ziaul Huque usurped power in Pakistan and gave a new impetus to the years long machinations for carving out a ‘Greater Punjab’ by overtly and actively supporting the Sikh freedom movement in the eastern Punjab, which had suddenly turned bloody after Indira Gandhi’s assassination, thereby, sparking mayhem of Sikhs in Delhi and some other northern parts of India. Ziaul Huque was the one, who gave a vision and laid the roadmap for the creation of greater Punjab by striking at the very roots of Pakistan’s edifice—judicial murder of Shaheed Zulfiquar Ali Bhutto---poisoned to death Shahnawaz Bhutto in Paris—imprisoned and banished Nusrat Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto---envisioned strategic depth theory and got Pakistan military involved in Afghnistan’s jihad---introduced a Kalashnikov and heroine culture all across the country—fueled fire in Balochistan and Sindh by dividing the society into the worst ever sectarian and ethnic groups, ignited tribal feuds by nurturing war lords, promoted all sorts of mafias even in the towns and cities, turning them mediaeval tribal. Zia’s heir apparent Nawaz Sharif, taking his godfather’s mission ahead continued devising policies, which could give him absolute control over the military, judiciary as well as the executive so that he could go for the final kill and carve out greater Punjab. Persistently focused on this goal, they saw the army influence weakened by getting it involved in the notorious army operation in Sindh, both in the rural and urban areas, creating a rift between the old and new Sindhis and thus lethally struck at the ideological hold as well. As if this was not enough, PML-N recently goaded the government ordering the army to launch operation in the Malakand Division including Swat, which they so deftly soon completed, but PML-N for demeaning it started crying hoarse over the extra-judicial killings in the process and demanded an enquiry. Nawaz is on record to have said recently that he foresees the day soon when no passport or visa would be required on the Wagah border and anyone can cross over the border by just raising slogan of ‘Wah Guru Ki jai’, while the incoming ones by chanting ‘Long live Amirul Momineen’, that’s all—no more and no less. Nawaz is still a prime suspect in Benazir assassination case, as he was also addressing a public rally, constituting of mostly Lal Masjid suicide bombers, in the same city, Rawalpindi on the same day and at hardly a few kilometers away from Liaquatbagh, where Benazir on way out after having addressed her rally was brutally assassinated, while Nawaz kept taking round of the city even after the tragic incident.     [15] Comments               Post Your Commets   Blocking the road to martial law It is high time for political leaders to realize the gravity of the situation on the ground instead of merely voicing slogans that bonapartism has been buried for ever and the road to martial law has been blocked by the Supreme Court declaring Nov.3 actions unconstitutional. These naïve leaders had earlier been telling the people that no sooner Musharraf leaves, all evils would be wiped out—finally Musharraf left---they started chanting unless the ‘justice’ is restored, the problems would linger—well the ‘justice’ was put in his place, but he playing the ball articulately sent the Musharraf’s trial issue into the court of the parliament, where none is willing to take the lead and blaming each other for not moving the required resolution in the National Assembly leading to Musharraf’s hanging by the pole at Goalmandi, Lahore. Let it be known to all that no law, no amendment in the constitution and no exemplary punishment of Musharraf could barricade the path of martial law instead it is only possible by giving a better performance than Musharraf era mainly on the economic front, making the common men’s lives a little bearable, at least. Today, go to any town, city and village, one will find a huge long queue of men and women, old and young standing under the open sky on these summer sunny days for hours waiting to get a bag of flour/sugar, which even a fortnight before the advent of the holy month Ramazan suddenly disappeared from the open market. The unholy alliance between the elitists and the ruling class well represented in both the government and the opposition are equally involved in conspiring to raise the government- fixed price of sugar by Rs9 per kilo (from Rs38 to Rs47) in one go, first totally choked the supply chains, creating the worst ever crisis of sugar all across the country and then posturing themselves as the great benefactors of the poor hurriedly accepted the demand of the sugar mill owners instead of censuring them for the hoarding, profiteering and fleecing the consumers in billions, as most of the mill owners are no other than the leaders and Quaid of the mainstream political parties. No wonder that even our ‘independent’ judiciary, though taking suo motto notice on the issue, couldn’t do anything more than sermonizing and taking a mileage over especially the federal government whom in their remarks castigating declared that it didn’t have the requisite courage to meet the challenge of the powerful sugar cartel, but for reasons better known to them, they preferred not summoning at least a few of the known mill owners presently also heading the federal and provincial governments. Similar is the case with the parliament and its standing committee, which debated for hours over cups of tea and dispersed with no action/decision against the criminal hoarders and profiteers, while the pro-government and the opposition parties lawmakers indulging in the vigorous blame game raised a cloud of thick dust camouflaging the real culprits. As if this was not enough the staple food of the people in Pakistan, flour also went out of the market or its prices along with other essential food items skyrocketed, while the provincial governments claimed supplying flour at subsidized rates, which the knowledgeable sources termed it too insufficient in quantity to meet even a fraction of the people’s demand, whose miseries seem to have no bounds and who appear to be losing all patience and once again looking for a saviour desperately.     [25] Comments               Post Your Commets   Jinnahpur hoax revealed, impartial enquiry demanded Muttahid Qaumi Movement (MQM) Quaid, Altaf Hussain has demanded an enquiry by any International/ Multi-national Commission investigating into the 1992 military operation as well as May 12 incidents in Karachi, following the two main players of the 1992 Army operation lifted the veil from what has been called Jinnahpur Conspiracy allegedly hatched by the MQM to snatch Karachi from Pakistan. It was alleged in 1992 that maps had been found in the headquarters of the MQM indicating such a plot. The “discovery” sowed hatred among the various ethnic groups in general, but particularly between Punjab and the MQM. The Jinnahpur Conspiracy was in fact not a plot by the MQM, but a plot to defame the MQM. The two military officers then in a position to know the truth disclosed this recently. General (Retd) Naseer Akhtar, who was corps commander Karachi at the time of the operation in 1992, has stated that he had no knowledge of the “Jinnahpur map”; and that was the reason why the ISPR withdrew it two days after its publication. More forthcoming has been the ex-ISI operative and ex-IB chief Brigadier (Retd) Imtiaz Ahmad who says the plot against the MQM was hatched by an officer of middle rank during the 1992 operation against the MQM by the then-army chief General Asif Nawaz Janjua and President Ghulam Ishaq Khan, while keeping Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif out of the loop. However, General Naseer Akhtar on the contrary asserted that Nawaz Sharif, the then prime minister was fully briefed beforehand launching the operation in Karachi. The “Jinnahpur revelation” had the effect of painting the MQM as a separatist organisation bent upon breaking Pakistan into further parts after 1971. While complaining that Mr. Nawaz Sharif should have called off the 1992 operation in which countless people were killed, including a brother and a nephew of Mr. Altaf Hussain, the MQM chief has appealed for an International/Multi-national Enquiry Commission investigating into 1992 operation as well as the much trumpeted May 12 incidents. Meanwhile, the then Interior Minister, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has also confirmed some of the Karachi youths, still on the missing persons’ list, were actually killed during interrogation and buried in Islamabad. There is no two-opinion on investigation, but the question arises by whom? Executive Enquiry in our country unfortunately could never get the required credibility. Judiciary in the country currently being in total disarray as it is still involved in a bitter dispute between the real and spurious judges, their verdict/enquiry could never get the unanimous acceptance because of the open leaning of the so-called genuine judges. Besides, the bench and the bar being themselves a party in the May 12 incidents, as it all originated from their insistence of bringing out a rally from Karachi Airport to the Quaid’s Mausoleum, where another rally was already marching towards the venue of its meeting at Tibet Centre, M. A. Jinnah Road. The rulers would, therefore, be well advised to let the May 12 incidents investigated by the UN/ International Court of Justice or at best by a European Union Commission for a comprehensive and holistic review of the happenings leading to such unfortunate situation and give its impartial and judicious verdict on this lingering issue.     [36] Comments               Post Your Commets   Do we really have any alternative other than hoping for the best? US President Barack Obama used an annual ritual — a Ramazan message — on Friday to assure the Muslims that his administration had ‘unyielding’ determination to resolve the issues that plague relations between the Muslim and western worlds. ‘We are committed to keeping our responsibility to build a world that is more peaceful and secure,’ he said. ‘That is why we are responsibly ending the war in Iraq. That is why we are isolating violent extremists while empowering the people in places like Afghanistan and Pakistan.’ Mr Obama also assured the Muslims that he and his government were ‘unyielding in our support for a two-state solution that recognises the rights of Israelis and Palestinians to live in peace and security’. Mr Obama’s message was very different from the terse and brief Ramazan messages of his predecessor, which did not go much beyond formal felicitations and the expression of a desire for better relations between the two civilisations. In his first Ramazan message, the US president not only identified the real issues but also demonstrated a better understanding of Islam and its rituals. All his efforts, he said, were a part of America’s commitment to engage Muslims and Muslim-majority nations on the basis of mutual interest and mutual respect. ‘And at this time of renewal, I want to reiterate my commitment to a new beginning between America and Muslims around the world.’ ‘This new beginning must be borne out in a sustained effort to listen to each other, to learn from each other, to respect one another and to seek common ground,’ he said. ‘I believe an important part of this is listening.’ ‘We have listened. We have heard you. And like you, we are focussed on pursuing concrete actions that will make a difference over time — both in terms of the political and security issues that I have discussed, and in the areas that you have told us will make the most difference in peoples’ lives.’ Such consultations, Mr. Obama said, were helping his government implement the partnerships that he called for in Cairo — to expand education exchange programmes; to foster entrepreneurship and create jobs; and to increase collaboration on science and technology, while supporting literacy.     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Afghans belie disaster prediction by turning out robustly to vote Millions of Afghans went to the polls on Thursday, defying Taliban threats of violence and sporadic attacks to choose a president in the midst of a worsening war. “The Afghan people dared rockets, bombs and intimidation and came out to vote,” President Hamid Karzai told a news conference after polls closed. “We’ll see what the turnout was. But they came out to vote. That’s great, that’s great.” Later, the Afghan government said it was “satisfied” with voter turnout for nationwide elections as the electoral commission said statistics would be released in several days. “We are satisfied with the participation of our people in the elections,” Interior Minister Hanif Atmar told a press conference. “Police assessments show that in more than 70 percent of the country’s provinces, we observed the best kind of turnout. In 30 percent of provinces, despite threats, our people participated bravely in the elections.” Preliminary results are not due for two weeks, although polling stations could begin to report sooner. Taliban ambushes, rocket attacks and blasts killed nine civilians, nine policemen and eight soldiers, government ministers told a news conference in what Defence Minister Abdul Rahim Wardak said was a total of 135 incidents. “Overall, the security situation has been better than we feared. That is certainly the most positive aspect of these elections,” said Kai Eide, head of the UN mission in Kabul. “The security situation has, in general, allowed people to take part in the elections,” he said. Obama’s envoy for the region, Richard Holbrooke, toured polling stations in Kabul. “So far every prediction of disaster turned out to be wrong,” said Holbrooke. Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama said on Thursday the Afghanistan election appeared to have been a success, despite what he said were the efforts of Taliban to disrupt it. The White House said Afghans had turned out to vote in large numbers despite threats of violence, and US policy in the eight-year-old war would not change in the aftermath of Afghanistan’s presidential election. “We had what appears to be a successful election in Afghanistan, despite Taliban efforts to disrupt it,” said Obama. How would you assess the entire situation in the aftermath of Afghan election?     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   Minus one or minus three--only the time will tell Pakistan courts today, unfortunately, stand completely bereft of credibility and trustworthiness, with the dismissal of large number of superior court judges by one stroke of a controversial Supreme Court verdict of the 14-member bench, comprising of all those judges, who earlier on their suspension through an executive order, after waging a movement on their principled stand of ‘none except the Supreme Judicial Council’ could remove or suspend a superior court judge, later got themselves blatantly restored through another executive order, and now giving the spectacle of the courts being run by those owing their loyalty understandably to one political party only. It may be recalled that one set of 83 superior court judges were ruthlessly ousted by another set of judges constituting of Supreme Court 14-member bench, which though being itself a party, arrogated to themselves the responsibility of judging their rival judges’ case unlawfully, tearing into shreds the very fabric of judicial system in the country and throwing all so eloquently professed golden principles, during their movement, into dust. Hardly the dust over the controversy of unconstitutional and unlawful dismissal of the judges had settled down, the chief minister, the governor of Punjab and the legal community seem to be at daggers drawn over sharing of the plundered booty that came so readily to them with the fallen judges, leaving huge vacancies in the superior courts. Each of the three warring groups has their own arguments for claiming the major chunk of the treasure. The lawyers backed by the victorious set of judges assert that they being the forerunners of the movement that unseated the vanquished set of judges have every right to have a final say in all matters of judiciary including the appointment of judges, while the PML-N have equally strong argument saying that without the final thrust from their Quaid, the movement would never have seen the day, whereby the judges of superior courts were shown the doors. On the other hand, Punjab governor, while referring constitutional clauses, rejected the demand of Punjab chief minister to give preference to his recommendations at the time of appointment of new judges on the grounds that only President Asif Ali Zardari is the authority to appoint judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC), for whom, a vicious ‘minus one’ campaign in Punjab media is already raging. The governor seems to have secured Islamabad’s full backing on the issue, while the Judges’ Colony support to the PML-N and the Lawyers’ Brigade is no more a secret. PML-N and the lawyers though share the same patron-in-chief, yet they have some inner contradictions that one could see in the recent Lahore lawyers’ violence against the media, the police and even against a few judges under the rule of the great ‘Punjab administrator’ about whom it is generally said that nothing, not even a leaf could move all across the province without his consent. In this backdrop, isn’t the brewing clash among the three warring groups likely to soon blow up and open yet another bloody front for the Army to tackle with?     [16] Comments               Post Your Commets   What’s holding Nawaz to move against Musharraf, despite his choice courts? Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) Quaid, Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has asked the Army to file lawsuit against Musharraf, distance itself from former president Pervez Musharraf and not to pre-empt his trial. ‘The military should cut its ties with Musharraf and should itself file a lawsuit against him,’ Nawaz Sharif said at an Independence Day function here on Friday. ‘Those who abrogated the Constitution, damaged the judiciary and arrested judges must be punished,’ he said. ‘If a violator of a traffic signal can be penalised, why a person who violated the basic law of the land should go scot-free,’ the former prime minister argued. He also urged the government to fulfill its responsibility, saying he saw no need for a unanimous resolution in parliament for bringing the former army chief to the dock. The government should shed its reluctance, he added. ‘The talk of (Musharraf’s) accountability in parliament must not send shivers down the spine of anyone.’ Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had recently told the National Assembly that the government would prosecute Mr. Musharraf for treason only after the house passed a unanimous resolution. Mr. Sharif said Gen Musharraf should be brought to justice for pushing the country into a series of crises by ‘getting Nawab Akbar Bugti murdered and ordering a crackdown on students of Jamia Hafsa’. Mr. Sharif said that the Army Generals had not consulted him, as prime minister, over the 1999 Kargil war. Meanwhile, the knowledgeable people across the country wondering what is holding Nawaz Sharif from filing a lawsuit himself and get the made-to-order decision from his choice courts in no time, like the one he skillfully managed in plane hijacking case?     [47] Comments               Post Your Commets   A ‘soldier’ of Nawaz assaults policeman in Faisalabad Punjab police traditionally known to be highly oppressive against the weak and behaving ‘always at your service’ to the feudal warlords, surprising these days seem to be caught on the wrong foot, while first repeatedly thrashed by the black coat brigades and lately by a ‘soldier’ of Nawaz Sharif, appear highly depressed and demoralized finding no sympathy and support both from the executive and the judiciary. A Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) lawmaker roughed up a police official in Faisalabad, a private TV channel reported late on Friday. While leading a rally to celebrate Independence Day, Punjab Assembly member Shafiq Gujjar beat up Elite Force constable Mumtaz after the latter stopped the party workers from aerial firing, the channel reported. Talking to the channel, the constable said the MPA slapped him and also snatched his rifle under the influence of alcohol. Denying the allegations, Gujjar told the channel that he was an “innocent man” and a “soldier” of Nawaz Sharif. He said he did not snatch the rifle from the constable. He accused the police of baton charging his supporters to disrupt the rally. He said the allegations of his being drunk were also baseless. Gujjar appealed to his party leadership to investigate the allegations, as if manhandling a policeman by soldiers of Nawaz is no more a criminal offence under the administration of Shabaz Sharif, whom the Punjab media is projecting as the ‘Messiha’ long awaited.     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Lawyers help murder accused flee A group of lawyers helped a murder accused escape from police custody after thrashing the policemen escorting him on Turner Road, just behind the Lahore High Court (LHC). The LHC CJ rejected the accused Ghulam Hussain’s bail plea in a murder case. The accused tried to flee from the court, but a police party consisting of Sub-Inspector (SI) Riasat Ali and two constables followed him and arrested him from Turner Road behind the LHC. A team of lawyers and their accomplices, led by Tariq Mehmood Bosal, present nearby, attacked the policemen and beat them. The accused managed to flee. Mozang police registered a criminal case on the SI’s complaint against 14 people, including Tariq Mehmood Bosal advocate and Shahid Pervaiz Khalwan. A case was registered under Sections 147,149, 186, 353, 224 and 225 of PPC and investigation has been started. The police said a group of lawyers and their subordinates attacked the three policemen as they were arresting the accused. They kicked and punched Riasat, and also tore his uniform. They managed to help the accused flee. The police said the lawyers also snatched the SI’s mobile phone and the case file, and left the spot. According to the police, the thrashed SI returned to the court and complained against the lawyers for attacking him and helping the accused escape. The LHC CJ ordered the police to follow the legal course against the lawyers. Investigation Officer Inspector Muhammad Aslam told that the police was monitoring the accused lawyers’ offices to arrest them. Will the lawyers ever be arrested by Shahbaz-controlled police or not given bail before arrest by the ‘independent’ court?     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan’s economic woes intensify Apart from the impacts of global economic downturn, Pakistan’s intensifying economic woes historically depict to be cyclic—taking one step forward for a while and no sooner it reaches to a breakthrough point some mishap occurs leading to political turmoil, throwing the economy back to two steps backward. But this time it seems breaking all record, as almost everybody holding some position in the society appear to be in great hurry making hay while the sun shines, least caring that it is fast pushing Pakistan financially to a stage of unsustainability. In talks with a Pakistan delegation in Washington, the IMF has approved additional financing for Pakistan, which has taken the total loan up to US $11.3 billion. The new pledges are intended to bridge any gap that may arise if funds pledged to Pakistan at a donor's conference in Tokyo in April do not come in on time. The immediate problem has thus been resolved; the longer-term crisis grows. The IMF deal of course means Pakistan's debt burden continues to mount. The same holds true in the case of loans taken from other sources. The situation is largely unsustainable. A glance at the budgetary pie shows how debt eats away at our resources. We simply cannot afford to dish out an ever-increasing slice to it year after year, decade after decade. The crisis Pakistan faces today is largely rooted in its economy. The socio-economic slide has contributed to the immense sense of grievance and acted to fuel the militant fires. The rising rate of crime, the growing sense of insecurity, the flight of capital, for which another Forex firm, Zarco, is now being investigated, and the damaging human brain drain are all tied in to this factor. To escape the debt trap, we need more resources or drastically cut our expenses instead of the current spree of drawing benefits with arrears by all those restored, hundred percent increase in salaries and perks, after retirement phenomenal increase in benefits and privileges, huge wastage due to negligence and ineptness besides the loot and plunder by all and sundry running into trillions. The issue is can our economy any longer sustain such weird attitude of persons exercising authority, especially when generating resources has it limits. The fact that agriculture has still to be taxed, that many industrialists still pay only the most nominal taxes, while the salaried class bears alone the major burden of tax deductions offers one answer. Our parliamentarians must look beyond their own interests and look at those of their country and its people. In the past, calling upon Pakistanis based abroad to send back remittances has proved the most effective means of raising finance. This can be attempted again. The vast Pakistani diaspora has time and again proved it is both extremely patriotic and generous. But it would be unrealistic to call upon it to send money home in a climate of continued political instability. The government must focus on building the confidence needed to bring in investment and halt the continued slide of the rupee against the dollar. Pakistan's potential for exports has not been realized. There should be some assessment too of why we have lost our status as a major ship-breaking centre and why other spheres in which we once competed with the world have slipped.     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   Chauvinist media, judiciary invite yet another foreign meddling The chauvinist media and the Jati Umra remote controlled judiciary drumming up Musharraf trial for treason have almost gone to the extent of launching a hate campaign against the army itself, whose recent performance in Malakand Division have drawn admiration from the US and the West, who highly perturbed have rushed their emissary to Pakistan for bridging the emerging gap between the three pillars of the state, besides Zardari-Nawaz rifts. Former British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Mark Lyall Grant arrived on Sunday to try and build bridges between President Asif Ali Zardari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervaiz Kayani, since the Army seems losing patience on judiciary being remote controlled from Jati Umra, which in its hate Musharraf campaign persistently maligning the only disciplined institution in this country. Diplomatic sources said Grant would meet the leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the PML-N to discuss the political situation in the country and perhaps might pay a visit to the Islamabad Judges Colony also. He will try to convince the three parties to avoid political bickering on petty issues and work in unison for the stability of the country’s political system, focus on issues relating to the welfare of the people instead of wasting time, money and energy on building a storm that would sweep away everything thus far achieved. The sources said the former envoy would also try to get an assurance from the leadership of the PPP and the PML-N to avoid prosecuting Musharraf as it would lead to yet another catastrophe for Pakistan besides embarrassing the UK and the US, who had both been strong supporters of the former army chief.     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   Need for caution ‘Lashkars’ made up of local people in the Kabal area of the Swat Valley have reportedly killed around seven militants. Kabal had remained in the hands of the Taliban even after the liberation of Mingora and other places. Their continued presence there had meant that the fear of a possible Taliban comeback lurked in many minds. People, with the support of the military, have evidently decided to take matters into their own hands and to try and make their lives a little safer. The emergence of the militia goes also to prove that many ordinary people hold no sympathy with the militants. This has been true not only in Swat but also other tribal areas where ‘lashkars’ were formed. The government policy in this respect was well conceived, even though the implementation in some cases left much to be desired. The suicide attacks on the lashkars also acted as a source of discouragement. The timing of ‘lashkar’ activity in Swat is good. Hopefully, the fierce military operation has weakened the Taliban. Local action could further erode their strength. But at the same time there is a need for caution. Key Taliban figures, including Maulana Fazlullah, remain unaccounted for. Recent militant incursions into Shangla and other districts of NWFP indicate they retain their capacity to carry out plans. This is disturbing. Many of Swat’s wealthier and more influential residents have chosen not to return to it. This means that the ordinary people left to survive on their own will have even less capacity to ward off a militant threat. This is a possibility that needs to be guarded against. The ‘lashkars’ need to be built into a civilian defence force able to keep watch over the valley and keep it safe. You may also suggest other measures that you deem necessary for the goverbment to take forestalling Taliban resurgence in the liberated areas.     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   Baitullah Mehsud reportedly dead, how would it impact on Pakistan polity? Baitullah Mehsud, the fearsome top leader of the self-styled Tehreek-e Taliban Pakistan, is reportedly dead, killed. However, there is no categorical confirmation from the government, obviously because it has no physical presence in the area, where the US drones fired two missiles in the early hours of Wednesday. Following four long days of suspense, Hakimullah Mehsud, Tahreek-e-Taliban spokesman and a close relative of Baitullah Mehsud reportedly denied that TTP Chief is killed claiming he is alive, an Arabic Television reported. However, a senior security official requesting not to be named insisted, “This is one hundred per cent true. We have no doubt about his death, he is dead and buried”, the official said. Meanwhile, US said that Pakistan would be safer, if Taliban chief is dead. The spokesman for US President Barack Obama further said White House could not confirm the killing of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan chief, adding the people of Pakistan are now safer, if reports are accurate. The Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, led a violent campaign of suicide attacks and assassinations against the Pakistani government. He is believed to have been killed in a US drone attack. Describing Mehsud as a murderous thug, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said on Friday: “We cannot confirm whether he is dead. There seems to be a growing consensus among credible observers that he is indeed dead.” If he is indeed dead — and many credible sources have independently suggested that he is in fact dead — then a devastating blow has been struck right at the heart of the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, the umbrella group of militant networks formed under Mehsud’s command in December 2007. Instead an Afghan Taliban spokesman Friday said that Mehsud’s reported death would not hurt the Taliban cause in Afghanistan. Among the religious parties in Pakistan thus far only Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Islam- Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman made a brief comment saying he was unaware how the TTP would react to the death of their leader. He also said that he could not predict the impact the death of Mehsud might have on Pakistan. He claimed Baitullah had been ‘martyred’ in the US drone attack, adding he termed anyone killed in a US attack a ‘martyr’. On the other hand, Awami National party (ANP) leader and senior NWFP Minister Bashir Ahmad Bilour urged upon the accomplices of Tehreek-e-Taliban (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud to lay down their weapons adding that the Taliban were already divided, and a division would emerge within the militia after the death of their leader. Barring handful of clerics and bigots, general public on the whole has welcomed Mehsud’s elimination. May be, it urgently raises several issues---that you are invited to conceive of and suggest measures government tackling those deftly.     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Ruthless lawyers again thrash journalists Lawyers on Thursday continued their vandalism against media, attacking a Geo TV cameraman and other journalists on duty again this time on the premises of the Lahore High Court (LHC), following the adjournment of LHC two-member bench hearing of a suo motto notice on lawyers’ manhandling of a policeman and journalists in the Sessions Court last week. The reports published in the media said that around 500 strong lawyers’ thunder squad had gathered inside and outside the courtroom since morning, which reflected their designs. But surprisingly the contingent of police personnel was withdrawn prior to the adjournment of proceedings on the demand of lawyers. The lawyers ruled supreme in the court, as immediately after the division bench, comprising Chief Justice Khawaja Sharif and Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry adjourned the proceedings, the hooligan lawyers started shouting slogans and using abusive language against the media and the judges. The judges and the journalists ran for their lives, whom the lawyers chasing came out of the courtroom and continued hurling abuses at the media persons. During their attacking spree, the berserk lawyers kept on using filthy language against the media and the judges, especially against the LHC chief justice apparently for taking a suo moto notice against the lawyers’ high-handedness. The lawyers pelted stones at DSNG vans of journalists and broke the camera of Geo TV cameraman AR Adnan besides thrashing him. Meanwhile on Thursday, Punjab Bar Council (PBC) four-member disciplinary committee, while declaring the decision of its vice chairman as null and void, restored the licences of the lawyers from the date of suspension. Four lawyers — Rana Asif, Rana Sajjad, Malik Hanif Awan and Rana Saeed Anwar’s licences were suspended on July 31 by the PBC’s vice chairman on the directive of LHC Chief Justice Khawaja Sharif. Talking to media the ringleader of the lawyers’ movement, Aitzaz Ahsan shedding tears on the latest journalists bashing by lawyers, reminded his wild legal community that it were these very reporters/cameramen, who with their expertise used to blow up even their small gathering into a big one and a sizeable one into a mammoth rally and admitted had it not been so, the movement would not have met with success. Some say persistent silence of the ‘top activist’ and the ‘great administrator’ of Punjab looking the other way give rise to doubts of their being hostage to these lawyers, who actually got them installed, while those including media, who blindly and sincerely supported the lawyers’ movement remarked, ‘Treachery, thy name is lawyers”, how would you agree/disagree with it?     [16] Comments               Post Your Commets   Jati Umrah rush, as 83 superior court posts fall vacant Jati Umrah has suddenly burst into hectic activities making the entire environment at Raiwind mysterious, a small town near Lahore, from where all roads seem to be leading to the palace, humming with hectic activities, late night speeding VVIPs motorcades, closed door meetings, deafening telephone calls buzz, elderly looking top job-seekers sporting thick glasses and black coats, carrying CV folders were seen making rounds of the palace, local media quoting the palace sources reported here. All the eight posts of Balochistan High Court are lying vacant after the resignations of all the five PCO judges on Tuesday. Thus, Balochistan is without a working High Court since last three days and as Churchill had once said that when the courts are not working, one has to worry about the existence of the state itself. In Peshawar High Court, 11 posts are lying vacant and with the ouster of three PCO judges it would rise to 14. The Supreme Court verdict not only sent scores of judges home, but also set aside the government’s move in which strength of Supreme Court as well as Lahore High Court and the Sindh Court had been increased through the Finance Act 2009-10. The Supreme Court’s strength was raised to 29 by adding 12 more seats to the existing strength of 17; Lahore High Court’s to 60 by adding 10 seats; and the Sindh High Court’s strength was increased to 36 by adding eight seats. At present there are 17 judges in the Supreme Court, but with the ouster of the PCO judges three posts would fall vacant. In Lahore High Court, at present 28 posts are lying vacant but with the ouster of PCO judges the number of vacant slots would rise to 42. A senior lawyer and former Senate chairman Wasim Sajjad suggested on Tuesday that some of the ousted PCO judges, who were honest and competent, should also be considered for re-appointment by Supreme Court. Isn’t a wishful thinking in the backdrop of the reported Raiwind activities?     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Sacked judges make plea Chaudhry also took oath under PCO Throughout lawyers’ movement this forum has been repeatedly sounding caution to the chauvinist media, lawyers and the agitating judges to exercise some restraint in slurring the then existing high courts and the supreme court manned by the two-time PCO and non-PCO judges, but the zealots in fury were in no mood to listen to any reasoning. They went on unabatedly sullying, defiling and defacing the sitting judges unmindful of the fact that they were striking at the very roots of institution, which brutally smeared now in the eyes of the public stand no better than the mischievous politicians always intriguing, conspiring, pulling each others’ legs, mustering strength by patronizing all sorts of mafias and behaving shockingly as rank opportunists and hypocrites. The courts today after the loud claims of a historic judgment—historic in the sense that never and no where in the world the proclamation of a verdict besides its numerous incongruities unleashed such a fatal blow to the very foundation of the institution itself, preposterously splitting the courts covertly into several groups and among them the emerging three—one-time PCO judges, two-time PCO judges and non-PCO judges are very much conspicuous by their hectic activities these days, which seem to have thrown the courts into a never ending controversy and losing all hopes of Pakistan ever having an impartial and free judiciary. Meanwhile, the 76 judges dismissed following the Supreme Court (SC) verdict against the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO) have decided to file a review petition, a private TV channel reported on Tuesday. The channel’s sources said the dismissed judges had contacted senior lawyers to help them prepare the petition. They said the judges were claiming the PCO judges, and not the newly appointed judges, had been on trial and thus should not be dismissed just because they were appointed on the recommendations of former chief justice of Pakistan Abdul Hameed Dogar. According to the judges, the SC verdict has provided protection to the administrative and financial decisions of Justice Dogar. They said the petition would establish that the appointment of the 76 judges had been an administrative decision. They said it would also note that four judges of the Lahore High Court, the Peshawar High Court chief justice, two judges of the Sindh High Court and Sharia Court judges were all PCO judges and had been allowed to retain their office. It would argue that five judges of the SC who were part of the 14-member full court bench had taken oath administered by the former CJP. The channel said the petition would point out that Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry had also taken oath under the PCO. It said the petition would maintain the dismissal of the 76 judges under these circumstances was a discriminatory action.     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   Shouldn’t judiciary jiffy decide Sufi Mohammad case also? A sedition case was registered against the banned Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammadi (TNSM) chief Maulana Sufi Muhammad and his nine colleagues at the Saidu Sharif police station in Swat Valley on Sunday. Sufi Muhammad, who was arrested by the NWFP government on July 27 from Peshawar along with his two young sons Rizwanullah and Ziaullah and another relative, was charged with sedition for issuing statements against the state of Pakistan and its institutions, including parliament and judiciary, during a public gathering at the Grassy Ground in Mingora on April 19. District Police Officer (DPO), Swat, Sajid Khan Mohmand, confirmed the registration of the FIR and said that Sufi Muhammad was charged with sedition for instigating the general public against the state and its institutions during public gatherings after signing a peace agreement with the government. NWFP Information Minister Mian Iftikhar Hussain earlier said Sufi had killed a lot of people and was planning violence again. “His actions so far indicate that he still has close ties to the Taliban of Swat,” Hussain told last week. TNSM chief son-in-law Fazlullah, who has head money of Rs50 million, is the architect of an uprising that marked the only time that a district under the government’s control had effectively slipped into Taliban hands. He had led thousands of supporters in a brutal campaign, beheading opponents, burning scores of schools and fighting against government troops since November 2007. Under a deal brokered by Sufi, the government agreed to allow the implementation of sharia in Swat once violence stopped, but the Taliban, led by Fazllulah, refused to lay down arms. Pakistan troops launched an operation in late April to rout the extremists after the Taliban had advanced to within 100 kilometres of Islamabad. One can only hope that the judicial activism, which was seen in deciding Nawaz Sharif’s cases and in sending the dissenting judges home, would also be seen in action for making Sufi accountable for his crimes against humanity.     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Blasphemy Law let loose hell again The religious riots in the Gojra tehsil village of Korian and other areas are ‘frightening’, where zealots have taken law in their own hands by burning down many Christian-family houses, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) said on Saturday. A mob of Muslims, following announcements on mosque loudspeakers that Christians had burned pages from the Holy Quran, attacked the homes of those they declared 'infidels'. Christian groups, who had rushed to the area following calls for help, say some 40 houses have been damaged after they were set alight, and seven valuable lives were reportedly lost besides an unknown number of people, including women and children, hurt. We have seen similar acts of mob frenzy in the past. Quite often it has been found on investigation that some issue of personal animosity had inspired it. Clerics and extremist groups have in some cases played a negative role. All this of course needs to be investigated. The victims alleged that had the local police handled this situation professionally things would not have deteriorated to such a pathetic state. They said the terrorists perhaps chose to strike at a time when the provincial executives and judiciary were all too preoccupied in celebrating the landmark Supreme Court judgment. It was on the fourth day of unabated hell let loose on them, when the President, PM, CM (Punjab), Lahore High Court CJ all woke up, while much damage both in terms of men and material had already been inflicted by the rioters. The Blasphemy Law put in force by General Ziaul Huque has made it easier to persecute people on the basis of most of the times completely malafide accusations, which one can only hope the Supreme Court after having done away with (two-time) PCO judges and ‘independent’ judiciary restored would look into such matters of people’s interests.     [21] Comments               Post Your Commets   PCO illegitimate, yet its some offspring legitimate As expected the Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared the Nov. 3 2007 emergency unconstitutional, and said the unconstitutional appointment of Justice Dogar as chief justice would not affect the validity of any administrative or financial acts performed by him or of any oath administered by him. According to a 14-page short order read out by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, “Pervez Musharraf, under the garb of the emergency and the Provisional Constitution Order (PCO), made amendments in the constitution for ... powers which are all unconstitutional, unauthorised, without any legal basis ... without any legal consequences.” However, the court said that any declaration made in the judgment would not affect in any manner the general elections and the government formed as a result thereof -- the president, the prime minister, parliament, provincial governments and anything done by these institutions in the discharge of their duties. “These acts are fully protected in terms of the age-old of principle of Salus Populu Est Suprema Lex reflected in PLD 1972 SC 139,” the 14-member bench observed in its judgment. So far so good, as this verdict vindicates the judges sitting on the 14-member bench, who were directly hurt by the Nov. 3 PCO, but the people by and large in their plain thinking kept wondering when PCO itself was pronounced illegitimate, how come some of its offspring could be decreed legitimate. It is in this context, some critics observed that full justice didn’t appear to have been done, as the independent court also taking recourse to the much-maligned law of necessity didn’t make any difference. Meanwhile, some militant lawyers commenting on the judgment said they had expected Musharraf to be declared a traitor and ordered for his hanging by the rope at Gowalmandi until death, making it an example for the Generals and a strong deterrent for any Bonapartism in the future But others argued legal matters are not for the common man to comprehend, as they couldn’t make out the implications of the mastermind Aitzaz Ahsan’s pre-SC verdict meeting with the Army Chief and later immediately on announcement of the judgment giving his reactions at a press conference, Aitzaz termed this a landmark in the judicial history of Pakistan, as it meets the expectations of the government, establishment and the lawyers—a well compromised--a well brokered verdict, a somersault par excellence, isn’t it?     [29] Comments               Post Your Commets   Musharraf can be tried in ICJ-- better hurry up Lord Nazir Ahmed – a Muslim member of the UK House of Lords – said on Wednesday that former president Pervez Musharraf could be “tried in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for war crimes”. Addressing journalists in Islamabad at the Supreme Court, Lord Nazir claimed that members of the House of Lords, lawyers and people from various walks of life were “gathering evidence against Musharraf ... he could even be tried in London”. Lord Nazir’s proposal needs serious consideration for lack of credibility of almost all of our institutions, especially the Supreme Court of Pakistan, which till recently the people all across the country knew it as Dogar Court has now turned into a Chaudhry Court, currently losing its trustworthiness so much so that even a staunch supporter of the lawyers’ movement, Lord Nizir had to express his no confidence in Pakistani courts and vowed taking up the matter to ICJ. Meanwhile according a report published here today in the media, the 14-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice (CJ) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, observed on Thursday that though the apex court could rule on the constitutionality of the actions of former president Gen (r) Pervez Musharraf, it could not initiate treason proceedings against him on its own. The bench observed that the power to try the former president for treason and other crimes lay with parliament. The bench was hearing petitions challenging the non-confirmation of two Sindh High Court judges and the appointment of judges who had taken oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO) of November 2007. This stunning admission by the ‘aggrieved’ court (bench comprising of mostly aggrieved judges) relating to its inability to try Musharraf has come as a shock to all those, especially Punjab media, which kept hyping the SC trial giving the impression to lay men that its matter of days, when Musharraf would be hanged.     [24] Comments               Post Your Commets   Power-drunk lawyers abuse, shove a judge holding court Mafia style running the courts will eventually lead to Swat-like cleansing. The legal community seems to have gone berserk. Perhaps, they are finding it difficult to digest the immense power that they have derived from their successive victories over the establishment. But there should a limit to everything, which the legal community would be well advised to realize soon. Many such incidents, reported and blacked out, that took place recently in the country, of which, the latest occurred Monday, as published in a Lahore leading daily report is re-produced below, which should serve as an eye opener, especially for those, who thought that the successive victories of judiciary would strike a revolutionary change in the country, setting the system right and making life of the people easier. Lahore Gurdian Judge, Faisal Mahmud Mir was hearing a case, when a group of rowdy lawyers ran into a dispute with the judge and allegedly hurling abusive language tried to throw him out of the court, while the judge in frenzy ran for his life and shut himself in his chamber. Civil Judge Faisal Mahmud immediately informed the District and Session Judge of this pathetic incident, while the judicial officers of the subordinate court in an informal meeting decided to take direct action, if the lawyers responsible for misbehaving with the judges were not taken to task. Civil Judge Faisal Mahmud in an exclusive interview told that a case relating to a wife and husband row was presented for hearing in the morning, but neither the husband nor his lawyer was present in the court. The wife made a plea for the recording of her statement, which he did accordingly. The respondent’s lawyer after a while appeared and asked for the recording of his stance also, which was accordingly allowed. “Meanwhile, Lahore Bar Finance Secretary, Asif Shakir accompanied by scores of lawyers banged into the court and started abusing me. The lawyers shouted at me ‘Ullo ka pattha’ and hurled other unquotable filthy abuses. They drove me out of the courtroom and when I took refuge in the chamber, even from there, they tried to push me out,” he sobbingly narrated. He further said that the lawyers have threatened him, if the court decision was not given in their favour, then they would hang him upside down. Civil Judge said, “We come to dispense justice, but some lawyers brutalizing the court want to get the decision in their favour, which is against the judicial policy also.” He said that his colleagues had decided to go on strike, but later he persuaded them not to do so, as it would put the public to inconvenience. On the other hand, advocate Pervaiz, who had picked up a quarrel with the judge, said that during the hearing a female witness’s statement was recorded, who was in ‘burqa’ (veil) and he had demanded from the judge for getting her unveiled, so that the gender could be ascertained, which the judge took it otherwise and asked him to get out that ensued trading barbs turned into feud. The Session Judge fearing mighty Lahore Bar backed by the ‘lion’ and the ‘chieftain’ hastened to get the matter hushed up at the altar of the Civil Judge’s dignity and honour.     [24] Comments               Post Your Commets   Justice is blind, but it is half-blind in Pakistan As reported, the legal fraternity has planned to take on lawyers who would defend former president General Pervez Musharraf in any court of law. The report further said anyone who would represent Musharraf in the Supreme Court would be an unfortunate lawyer. The lawyers community has conveyed to all those, who have hinted to become former president’s counsel that they would have to face the brunt of their fellow colleagues, if they offered their services to the person who allegedly brutalised the law professionals. The lawyers offering their services to the former president would become a security problem for the administration since a number of groups were hell-bent on taking revenge from Musharraf. A former attorney general and eminent lawyer, Syed Sharifuddin Pirzada, who is viewed as the author and inventor of mechanism that General Pervez Musharraf initially followed, has denied appearing on behalf of the former president. Sharifuddin Pirzada, who had detailed discussions with his colleagues here during the last one week on different legal matters, including one of Pervez Musharraf, left for Karachi on Friday. He is expected to be here on Wednesday next when Musharraf has to appear before the apex court. Pirzada will be present in the courtroom during the next hearing, but it is unlikely that he would take part in the arguments. Today is the third day since this report was published, but no clarification/denial/suo motto so far, confirming the authenticity of the report and the legal community’s determination to continue with their terror by making the courts ‘no go’ areas for the dissenting lawyers, brazenly announcing to have taken hostage of the eminent lawyer Sharifuddin Pirzada and hurling all sorts of horrifying threats to the dissenters as well as the accused and their families seem reminiscent of those most feared Baitullah Mehsud, Fazllulah and other Fata, Swat terrorists, with whom our Army is currently engaged with. Meanwhile, the Army has placed the services of a serving Army colonel who is still chief security officer of the former president at the disposal of the Interior Ministry. The colonel, who is highly professional and comes from a sensitive unit of the Army, was the CSO of the former president. Another major of the Army, who worked with Musharraf as his ADC, has sought retirement from the service and has volunteered his services for his boss. He too is looking after the protocol for the general and assisting in security, the sources said. Let us pray that good sense will soon prevail before the rivals lose patience.     [15] Comments               Post Your Commets   Should judiciary react in same manner as troops did on Oct.12, 99? Should judiciary in its fury, which is quite understandable, behave in the same manner as the troops did on October12, 1999, when they were seen on TV channels furiously scaling the main Gate of the Prime Minister House on that fateful evening to stop the PM ready for making announcement sacking their Chief Musharraf, whose plane on way from Sri Lanka was refused landing at the Karachi airport and kept encircling around in the sky for hours. Singling out Musharraf alone responsible for the toppling of the elected prime minister smacks of personal vendetta and revenge, especially in the backdrop of recalling the whole scene of the abhorring episode and the equally despicable silence/collaboration of the these very militant legal community, civil society, media besides the political leaders. The Bar Association should now have mustered that much of moral courage to move the court against the Army coup of October12 itself rather than filing the petition aiming at Musharraf indirectly through revisit of the Tikka Iqbal Muhamnmad case of 2008, although some legal experts are of the opinion that there is no provision for revisit of the case, once reviewed, in the constitution of Pakistan. The army takeover on Oct. 12, 1999 was in fact in reaction to what the then Prime Minister, Nawaz Sharif did to pre-Musharraf Army Chief, General Jahangir Karamat and later was all prepared for making an announcement sacking their existing Chief, General Musharraf. The same was the case with Nov. 3, 2007 actions, which followed in reaction to the Supreme Court’s five-member bench May 7, 2007 stay order of the proceedings of Supreme Judicial Council (SJC), which the legal experts say amounted to subversion of the constitution, as SJC was the only constitutional body empowered to take decisions on allegations against the superior courts’ judges. The courts are on record to have collaborated/aided, abetted subversion of the constitution repeatedly. Was it not collaboration, when Pakistan’s Supreme Court on may 12, 2000 unanimously validated the October 1999 coup and granted Musharraf executive and legislative authority for three years from the coup date? Was it not subversion by the members of the National Assembly, who endorsed Musharraf’s referendum-election to the presidency? Was it not collaboration, when Pakistan’s Supreme Court cleared the way for president Pervez Musharraf to seek another five-year term, when six of the nine judges, rejected a tangle of petitions against Musharraf and threw out a major legal challenge to his re-election plans? Was it not aiding/abetting subversion, when a 10-member bench of the Supreme Court, on November 2007, directed the Chief election Commissioner and the government to declare Pervez Musharraf president for a second-term by December 1 and on November 24 2007, Pakistan Election Commission confirmed his re-election as President. It may be recalled that Musharraf was nowhere on the ground, when the coup was executed, besides he was in the habit of holding Corp. Commanders/Commanding Officers’ meeting on every matter of national and international importance. There is a long, long list of all those who were involved/aided/collaborated/abetted/ connived in the seditious act of overthrowing the democratic government and later in sustaining it for over eight long years. Let there be justice for all and not for the selected few being dispensed with. Will it not be fair and transparent to make all of them accountable in accordance with the law and the constitution?     [25] Comments               Post Your Commets   Back to square one? The Supreme Court on Thursday withdrew its July 6 stay order against the proposed increase in the power tariff and allowed the National Electric Power Regulatory Authority (Nepra) to work out a power tariff formula as per the demands of electricity generation and distribution companies. A three-member bench of the apex court, comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Chaudhry Ejaz Ahmad and Justice Jawwad S Khwaja, heard a suo motto case taken on news reports appearing in a section of the press against the proposed increase in the electricity tariff despite decrease in oil prices in the international market. The court issued notices to the water and power ministry and the finance ministry on information about the proposed withdrawal of subsidy on electricity or increase in the tariff of the utility and adjourned the hearing for three weeks. Later, Anwar Kamal, counsel for the electricity generation and distribution companies, prayed to the court to allow Nepra to work out electricity tariff formula on petitions submitted by the said companies. He further submitted the companies needed increase in the tariff to fulfill their revenue requirements and said it was the government, which is not willing to let people suffer from the hike in the tariff through subsidising the utility. On this, the chief justice observed the court did not intend to stop them from working out the formula for increase in the electricity tariff; however, it should be according to the rules. The court then withdrew its July 6 order, which had stayed the proposed increase in the electricity tariff, but directed Nepra to inform the court in advance, if it was going to recommend increase in the power tariff. Why such hasty suo motto notices, which ultimately bounce back, as it happened in the cases of petroleum products and electricity prices, creating serious misgivings in the minds of the people?     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Nawaz-Zardari Jati Umra parley--a specter of Pak president calling on Punjab king? Thanks to minute-to-minute reporting of the mushrooming Tv channels, which perhaps, some of you might have also seen, how the helicopters one after the other kept landing at the Raiwind helipad carrying President Zardari and his sizeable entourage, apart from those brigades of federal and government officials, who flew all the way from Islamabad and drove stately from Lahore to Raiwind. After hours of show off of the arrangements being made for the meeting at Jati Umra palace, the drop scene came when President Zardari seeking protocol waited for a while inside the helicopter, while the majestic Nawaz paused in appearing at the helipad expecting Zardari to come out first. However, the channels hastened to report that President Zardari was received at the helipad in a cordial environment. Rounds of talks were held with or without aides between the leaders of the two major parliamentary parties for hours, which could have been made public through press, instead they preferred to release a formal joint communiqué giving the impression of two sovereigns meet. The joint communiqué as published in the newspapers revealed no breakthrough, as the two leaders failed to agree on a timetable to repeal the 17th Amendment and the Charter of democracy. All it contained that His majesty Nawaz, already two up, thanks to the judiciary holding NRO chopper in the backyard of the palace, expressed his displeasure over massive load-shedding, increase in the petroleum prices, food price-hike, security threats, drone attacks, the war on terror and the Balochistan situation. Besides, he asked the president for taking good care of the internally displaced persons (IDPs). Has he not done this very well by making a phone call to Zardari or he would have taken the trouble of coming down from Jati Umra palace to the Lahore chief minister house, thus saving millions of wasteful expenditures for the rehabilitation of IDPs?     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Diamer-Bhasha Dam contrary to claims may not kickoff this year Adviser to the Prime Minister on Water Kamal Majidullah on Friday vehemently opposed the construction of $11.8 billion Diamer-Bhasha Dam in a meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP), chaired by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali. Punjab with the backing of newly emerged all-powerful judiciary would like to make most of their clout for rushing through the provincially contentious projects, no matter even if they are the legacy of dictator Musharraf’s regime, but the advisor came down heavily on the decision to construct the dam, arguing the country had just water of 106 million acre feet (MAF) and the government should go for the dam only when the country had 142 million acre feet of water. Kamal also objected to the location of the dam, saying it should be located somewhere else where the land was used for crops cultivation. “We need the dam around where we can improve the water level of the land, but crops cannot be cultivated in the area of the proposed dam.” He argued the provinces were not being taken on board on the issue. He also opposed the construction of dams, saying for a long time no dams had been constructed in the US and India, too, discouraged it. He advised the government should construct dams along the barrages. Sindh, in the meeting, also linked the construction of Diamer-Bhasha dam with conducting study about the impact of the dams first on River Indus. The low riparian province also took up the proposed price of 13 cents electricity to be generated by Diamer-Bhasha dam and declared the said price was too high. The province referred to the 5.3 cents per unit power tariff of Thar coal power project, which was not approved in the past. Keeping in view the objections raised by the adviser on water issues and Sindh representatives, the planning commission deputy chairman constituted a committee to look into the water availability and hydel prices issue. The committee, consisting of PARC chairman, member (water) Wapda, ministry of food & agriculture secretary, member (energy) planning commission and one representative from each province, would submit a report on the availability of water within 2-3 weeks.     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   India, Pakistan de-link terrorism from dialogue Pakistan and India have agreed to de-link the composite dialogue between the two countries from terrorism. The dialogue process was stalled in November last in the wake of Mumbai attacks. “It should not be linked to the composite dialogue process and these should not be bracketed.” This has been asserted in the joint statement issued here at Martim Hotel after three hours of talks between Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and his Indian counterpart Dr Manmohan Singh. No schedule has been given for resumption of the composite dialogue, but the two foreign ministers will hold a meeting in September on the margins of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) annual summit. Following the three-hour meeting, Gilani said he has drawn the attention of the Indian prime minister to the complaints regarding Indian interference in Balochistan, where a low-intensity insurgency is under way. Foreign Secretary Salman Bashir and his Indian counterpart Shiv Shankar Menon had lengthy deliberations before the joint statement was finalised. The issue of interference in Balochistan by India has come up in the Indo-Pak prime ministers’ talks for the first time. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said India was ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including all outstanding issues, the statement added. The 37-liner joint statement said both leaders agreed that terrorism was the main threat to both countries. Both affirmed their resolve to fight terrorism and to cooperate with each other to this end. Singh reiterated the need to bring the perpetrators of the Mumbai attacks to justice. Gilani assured that Pakistan would do everything in its power in this regard. He said Pakistan has provided an updated dossier on the investigations into the Mumbai attacks and had sought additional information/evidence. Singh said the dossier is being reviewed. In yet another significant development, the joint statement said both leaders agreed that the two countries would share real time, credible and actionable information on any future terrorist threats. The statement said Prime Minister Gilani mentioned that Pakistan has some information on threats in Balochistan and other areas. Both prime ministers recognised that dialogue is the only way forward. Action on terrorism should not be linked to the Composite Dialogue process and these should not be bracketed. Indian Prime Minister Singh said India was ready to discuss all issues with Pakistan, including all outstanding issues. To some, the inclusion of Balochistan in the joint statement has internationalised the issue, what have you got to say?     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Gilani-Manmohan meet: Punjab Govt. withdraws plea against Saeed The government of Punjab on Tuesday disassociated itself from a case challenging the Lahore high Court order that released Jamaatud Dawa chief, Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, as it filed an application with the Supreme Court (SC) stating that it has insufficient evidence against Saeed and his aide, Col (retd.) Nazir Ahmad. Earlier, the federal and Punjab provincial governments had filed separate petitions in the Supreme Court seeking the reversal of the order to release Saeed and one associate. The JuD chief is wanted in India, where he has been accused of plotting a bloody assault on the Indian city of Mumbai in November. Saeed was put under house arrest in early December after a UN Security Council committee added him and JuD to a list of people and organisations linked to al-Qaida or the Taliban. Incidentally, the same very day Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani on his arrival at Sharm el-Sheikh said he would meet Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh with “an open heart and a positive mind”. The prime minister on departure had told reporters in Islamabad that he hoped discussions with the Indian counterpart would get peace talks back on track. “Efforts should be made to build bridges between the two countries instead of building walls”, he said. Gilani in his efforts for peace had also made telephone calls to all the national leaderships, especially N-League Quaid, Nawaz Sharif and Punjab Chief Minister, Shahbaz Sharif for taking them into confidence and had sought their moral support enabling him to enter into the discussions with the Indian leader confidently. Isn’t surprising that the Punjab government didn’t take care of the evidence prior to the filing of their petition in SC and chose this crucial moment for stunning withdrawal?     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   PM sets new precedent of democratic culture Setting a new precedent of democratic culture, Prime Minister, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Sunday initiated a process of taking the national leadership into confidence before his scheduled meeting with his Indian counterpart at Sharm el-Sheikh in Egypt. On Sunday, Gilani made a telephone call to PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, Secretary General Jamaat-e-Islami Liaquat Baloch, ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan, PML-F chief Pir Pagara, Governor Sindh Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, parliamentary leader of Fata Munir Orakzai, PKMAP chief Mehmood Khan Achakzai, parliamentary leader of the MQM Dr. Farooq Sattar and Secretary General JUI-F Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri. The prime minister also made a telephonic contact with PTI chief Imran Khan, who is currently out of the country. Prime Minister Gilani is leaving on Tuesday to represent Pakistan at the NAM Summit, where he will also hold talks with the Indian leader on July 16 in a bid to restart the stalled peace process. During the telephonic calls to the national leadership, the prime minister took them into confidence about his upcoming meeting with Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh on the sidelines of the NAM Summit at Sharm el-Sheikh. Nawaz Sharif and other leaders assured the prime minister of their full support to the Government on Pakistan’s stance and the need for resolving all outstanding issues confronting India and Pakistan peacefully through talks. According to sources, Mian Nawaz Sharif, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Liaquat Baloch asked the prime minister to take up the issue of reports of involvement of India in the unrest in Balochistan and the tribal areas of Pakistan. How fruitful this suggestion of taking up Indian involvement in Balochistan unrest would be in Gilani’s initiative to re-start stalled peace process and for that matter in the resolution of the Balochistan issue as well?     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Balochistan—a potent volcano on the brink of eruption Despite hollow rhetoric by the rulers, all seems not well in Balochistan, as the scenario within and outside the province and subsequent development fast taking place giving signals of a powerful volcano ready for eruption any time and demanding urgent rescue and relief measures at a scale at least equivalent to the threat to save the people and the province from an impending great catastrophe and holocaust. The government instead keeps parroting that it has the political will and commitment to redress the concerns of Balochistan and a comprehensive strategy is being devised to permanently resolve all outstanding issues. Recently, talking to a delegation of Baloch parliamentarians, Prime Minister, Yusuf Raza Gilani Gilani said, “The government has increased the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) from Rs42 billion to Rs50 billion and has approved the utilisation of the unspent PSDP of Rs21 billion from last year, in the current year.” Besides, a committee led by Senator Raza Rabbani was working on the province’s issues. On the other hand, the UK-based self-exiled Khan of Kalat has said that without international mediation he would not become part of any talks to address the security-related and economic problems of Balochistan. Mir Suleman Daud Baloch, who is awaiting a decision on his asylum application from the House of Lords, plans to move the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the status of Kalat, which became part of Pakistan under an agreement signed on March 27, 1948, between Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the then Khan of Kalat Mir Ahmad Yar Khan. A news item three days back had termed it a positive sign that the Khan of Kalat had not yet moved the ICJ over the accusation that Pakistan has not fulfilled the promises it had made at the time of signing the treaty, but the real reason behind the delay is the Khan of Kalat’s inability to travel outside of Britain, while the British government considers his appeal. “My people have given me a mandate and a duty to take their case to the ICJ and I am determined to stand by them,” the Khan of Kalat said in reference to a September 2006 grand Baloch Jirga, convened after about 126 years, which recommended that a case should be lodged in the ICJ against what it termed violation of agreements signed by the State of Kalat, the Crown of Britain and the Government of Pakistan pertaining to the sovereignty and rights of the Baloch people. Refusing to be part of any efforts to settle the Baloch issue, the Khan of Kalat, who lives with his family in Cardiff, lay down only one condition to become part of the talks. “The talks have to be mediated by the United States of America, Russia, the United Kingdom or other European countries. The Pakistani government should choose anyone of them. Accept that and you will find me ready to sit down for meaningful talks. There is no point for us any more in getting engaged with powerless people. That option is off the table now. Sixty years of broken promises have broken my faith completely in the sincerity of Islamabad,” he declared.     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Cheats ruling the roost, whom to blame for judiciary–parliament standoff The cat is out of the bag. There seems to be no doubt now that the judiciary-parliament confrontation that we are faced with today is more of political wrestling among the ruling elites than the desire to dispense justice and give some relief to the oppressed people. As if the scores of multi-pronged crisis were not enough, a new issue has been raised by bringing the two pillars of the state confronting each other and currently testing their muscles, while the real challenges of the country--the war in the north---the mammoth task of rehabilitation of the millions of displaced persons---a surging independence movement in Balochistan---the growing dejection and despondency in the province of Sindh over the water distribution issue, tiff over NFC Award, provincial autonomy etc. besides simmering demand for a new Seraiki province have gone in the background. The ruling party had presented the national budget of Rs2900 billion with the tax revenue target of Rs1510 billion, of which the FBR will collect Rs1378 billion. The budget was thoroughly discussed for over a fortnight with some bitter criticism over the carbon tax, which the critics alleged that the petroleum development levy has been given a new name to circumvent the Supreme Court’s earlier order for a substantial cut in the petroleum products’ prices, although the government had complied with the order by notifying a nominal cut in prices. The treasury benches on the other hand defending the budget demanded proposals from all those advocating substantial cut in petroleum products’ prices, as to how to meet the accruing additional revenue gap of whopping Rs122 billion, no one from the major parties in the assembly supported the suggestion of the urbanites in the assembly to tax agriculture for replenishing the loss. Surprisingly, all these days the courts played the role of silent spectators, no suo motto and not a single petition even from the crusader lawyers seeking stay order came up for hearing. ML-N leader Jhagra, perhaps planned, also waited for the passage of the budget, which no sooner passed in the assembly, rushed to the Supreme Court with his petition that was taken up war footing to the full satisfaction of the PML-N. There is no two-opinion on giving relief to the poor, but a nation relying on more than 50 percent of its resources from foreign aid, grants, funding and financing on account of jehad against the communist Soviet Union and now the War on terror, while the feudal, jagirdars, the generals, the bureaucrats, the big business and last but not the least the judiciary not willing to contribute what is due to them, what to speak of making sacrifices for relief to the poor. The ever-rising trend of wasteful expenditures on royal protocols and so-called security arrangements were seen fanciful for the politicians and generals until recently has crept in others also shooting up the expenses fabulously. Playing politics on petroleum prices could only aggravate the situation leading to the judicial murder of whatever economy that we have currently instead of providing any relief to the people. The solution lies in drastic cut in expenditures of the elite class, the top men in all segments of society must come forward offering voluntary reduction in their salaries and perks by 50 percent, trade and industry must pay the taxes due, pilferage and misappropriation of funds must be stopped, the trillions and trillions of bank loans written off during the last two decades must be recovered and above all the huge sums stashed away from the country and invested elsewhere have to be brought back for meeting the gaping shortfalls in revenues enabling the whosoever government to offer some relief to the poor.     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Let’s hope what pledged comes true British Foreign Secretary David Miliband on Tuesday called for long-term investment to allow the two million internally displaced persons (IDPs) to return home after an offensive against the Taliban militants. “We have long-term security relationship with Pakistan and would provide all possible help in rehabilitation of the IDPs,” he told the IDPs at the Yar Hussain camp in Chota Lahor Tehsil of Swabi. He said his visit was aimed at highlighting the UK’s support for Pakistan’s ongoing efforts to defeat the extremists and restore peace and security to areas where the Army is carrying out operation against the militants. He also called for long-term investment to allow two million displaced persons to return home and said the UK had given $35 million for the displaced persons while the European Union had already provided $400 million for the IDPs. “We have provided $1 billion to Pakistan during the last four-years,” he said. Miliband said that his government had strong commitment with Pakistan and he was here to express solidarity with the government and the displaced people. “We know that Pakistan is passing through a very critical period and confronts challenges,” he said, adding: “In addition to the humanitarian support there needs to be long-term investment so you can go back to your communities and live there in security.” The British foreign secretary said, “I assure you that our commitment to you is strong and long-lasting and that we want to work with you to build the sort of long-term security that you say you want,” he said. Looking back in the past, we can only cautiously hope for the best. Mail your comments.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   India’s defence budget a precursor to an arms race India said defence spending would grow by 25 percent in 2009-10 to $29.39 billion as it moves to modernise weapons systems and overhaul its security forces after last year’s Mumbai attacks exposed major gaps. Additionally, the country will spend $562 million exclusively for boosting border security and modernising its police force, Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said while reading the budget on Monday. “Significant augmentation in the strength of the paramilitary forces is being done. This calls for more investment in creating the necessary infrastructure,” Mukherjee said. India’s final proposed defence spending was nearly two per cent higher than what was announced in February’s interim budget, given ahead of the April/May general election. Now India is integrating its three armed forces and increasing security along its coasts after militants from Pakistan attacked Mumbai from the sea route. “We will do all that is necessary to modernise the security and intelligence services and that’s a commitment which is essential even to deal with problems of development,” Singh said after the budget was announced. Other than increasing police manpower, India will speed up construction of fences and floodlights along its borders and build roads, Mukherjee said. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said the security modernisation programme was crucial to the unhindered development of Asia’s third largest economy. Some say it mirrors India’s war mongering, while the others predict it would lead to an arms race in the region. What do you think?     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   U.S., Israel, Iran repartees threaten full-scale war? A senior Iranian official, reacting to comments by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden, on Monday said his country would respond "in a very full-scale and very decisive way" if it were attacked by Israel. The Iranian official was speaking in Japan hours after U.S. television broadcast an interview, in which, Biden said the U.S. wouldn't stand in Israel's way in its dealings with Iran's nuclear ambitions. Biden in a television interview this week said, "We cannot dictate to another sovereign nation what they can and cannot do, when they make a determination, if they make a determination, that they're existentially threatened." Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Sunday that he has been concerned "for some time about any strike on Iran." He also said military action should not be ruled out and that a nuclear-armed Iran is a highly troubling prospect. In Tokyo, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, chairman of the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, said: "I think that America and Israel are fully aware what kind of result such a wrong judgment will entail.” Israel showed its military power sufficiently in the 22-day war, its offensive in Gaza early this year, he told reporters. "That kind of erroneous judgment poses a threat to the entire Middle Eastern region and the world." He added: "If (an Israeli attack) occurred, then the Islamic Republic of Iran will respond in a very full-scale and very decisive way." U.S. President Barack Obama told U.S. news agency last Thursday that persuading Iran to forego nuclear weapons has been made more difficult by the crackdown after the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. He said he wants to see progress on his diplomatic outreach to Iran by year's end, while not excluding a "range of steps," including tougher sanctions, if Tehran continued its nuclear drive. Israel, the region's sole undeclared nuclear-armed state, contends that Iran is seeking to acquire a nuclear arsenal and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hasn't ruled out a possible military strike against Iran.     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   The pot calling the kettle black Many in Pakistan fail to understand the belated current campaign against the former Prime Minister, Shaukat Aziz, the ex-banker known as ‘Mr. Clean’, who the report said although broke no laws, as he had paid the price for the precious gifts, which by right belonged to the state of Pakistan, and he took with him, but the report after years of toiling investigation came out unveiling the catch that the price of these items was put incredibly low and in some cases tens of thousands of rupees below their market value. What is baffling is that if the campaign has no other objective but as claimed the exposure of the rulers’ moral bankruptcy, then how come it remains silent on the fate of the gifts received by the premiers preceding urbanite Shaukt Aziz, mostly feudal, who considering these gifts their personal property, never even cared to look into the law to bring them on record. Much to the disappointment of the honest observers, the so-called investigative report didn’t even hint at some of the current perturbing pertinent happenings relating to the existing Prime Minister, Yousuf Raza Gilani, who so captivated by the performance of a famous comedian, Sohail Ahmad gifted him his 50,000 dollars wristwatch along with a letter of appreciation to the stage actor a few days back. Besides, in the times when Pakistan is facing severe economic hardships, the country’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has given a whopping windfall to all the lower house members by doubling their annual development fund to 20 million rupees. He gave no reason for the hike, and made a single sentence announcement before the 19-day budget session. The critics have often described this practice continuing since late 1980s as a kind of political bribe to lawmakers. Although the hike was greeted with desk thumping from both ruling coalition and opposition, many questions are likely to be raised about the jurisdiction of such a move by Gilani, when Pakistan was facing financial stringency. Isn’t ignoring such and many other anomalies that are taking place currently in all segments of the society, including the executive, judiciary and parliament, an effort putting down the throats half-truths and diverting the attention of the public from real issues?     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Will the new province calls open Pandora's box? Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani maintained that PPP being a symbol of the Federation is totally against any fragmentation of provinces. He said President Asif Ali Zardari and he himself were in total agreement on this issue, asserting that raising it at this point in time, when country was facing more pressing issues, both ill-timed and inappropriate. Reacting to this demand, Gilani said, “The country has been passing through the most critical phase of its history, confronting more pressing issues like ongoing war on terror, deteriorating law and order situation obtaining in parts of the country as a result of this war, economic meltdown, besides the all-important constitutional issues such as NFC Award and activation of Council of Common Interests. Gilani expressed the apprehension that such calls would open a Pandora’s box, which the country could ill afford at this juncture. He maintained that any such measure would in any case require a constitutional nod, after a complete unanimity among the political parties in the first place. He vehemently debunked the allegation that President Zardari had been fomenting the issue of Saraiki province. He said that at a recent party meeting both President Zardari and he strongly opposed the idea of a separate province and described the move an attempt to destabilise the Federation. As the debate kicks off in the media and the general public on carving out new provinces, the voice in favour of a Seraiki province echoed in the National Assembly recently, when PML-Q’s Sardar Bahadur Sehar supported the formation of another administrative unit to lessen the problems of the people of southern Punjab. Sehar said the southern Punjab had been deprived of development despite having the ability to become the breadbasket for not only Pakistan, but also for South Asia. He said since 1970s, no major education institution such as medical collage or an engineering university had been set up in the southern Punjab. “If the people there do not get proper education, religious seminaries would benefit,” he added. He said from the development budget of Rs137 billion for the Punjab, only a sum of Rs5 billion had been allocated for the area with the population of approximately 50 million. “When we raise our voice for our rights, we are declared anti-Pakistanis,” he said. Sehar said in the historical 1940 Lahore Resolution, the rights of all the nations had been accepted. “We are demanding the rights granted in the 1940 Resolution and even in the Charter of Democracy,” he added. Rejecting the impression that the voice for a Seraiki province has been raised on linguistic basis, Sehar said this demand was not raised on ethnic or linguistic basis but “we want our issues resolved on our doorsteps. We want our files to go to Multan instead of Lahore,” he added. He said even the people of southern Punjab did not get the share of the National Finance Commission.     [17] Comments               Post Your Commets   Obama should mediate in Kashmir dispute US President Barack Obama should play a role in bringing Pakistan and India closer to help them resolve the Kashmir dispute and also avoid a nuclear war in the region, a senior Kashmiri political leader said. "It's time Obama declares a clear policy to help resolve the Kashmir dispute to end conflict between Pakistan and India because war against terrorism cannot be won without resolving this issue," said Sardar Atiq Ahmad Khan, former prime minister, Azad Jammu and Kashmir and President of the All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference. "It is time that the world community, especially the US, play as mediator and facilitator to de-escalate the tension between the two countries because bilateral talks between India and Pakistan on Kashmir dispute have miserably failed during the last 62 years," Khan, told a press conference in Dubai. Both Pakistan and India had stopped talks on the Kashmir issue since the Mumbai terrorist attacks last year. "The US should pressurise both the countries to resume talks to ease tension in the region," Khan said. The former prime minister also stressed the need to seek an immediate interim solution to the Kashmir issue. "Troops should withdraw, trade between both sides of the Line of Control (LOC) should be opened, intra-Kashmir dialogue should be started and Kashmiris should be allowed free movement across the LOC," he said, reiterating his demand to reduce the Line of Control to the Line of Commerce. "The international community cannot leave Kashmir issue hanging in the air unresolved because it can trigger nuclear war between the neighbouring countries," he said. Pakistan and India have already fought three wars on the issue. "The unresolved Kashmir dispute not only poses a serious threat to the region but also to world peace," Khan warned. Will Obama positively respond to the call? Post your comments.     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Dispelling pernicious perception of why not hire a judge instead of a lawyer, Aitzaz vowed he would never appear before SC CJ. Following the courts competing with each other in giving relief to Sharif brothers by speedily acquitting/exonerating them from earlier convictions in series of cases and paving the way for another NRO for consolidation of democracy in the country, unfortunately, gave rise to a vicious general perception about the mastermind Aitzaz Ahsan ghost writing the judgments, especially those related to the Sharifs. Hurriedly dispelling this damaging perception both for him and the courts, Aitzaz, while deciding to represent the Haris Steel, the main accused in the multi-billion rupee scam of the Bank of Punjab (BoP), made public his commitment that he would never appear before the Supreme Court Chief Justice, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry because of his known association with him, while leading the lawyers’ movement, which had ultimately culminated into SC CJ and other judges’ re-instatement. But the country’s top judge heading the bench to hear this case did not find much weight in the top lawyer’s plea that the case already fixed before the bench headed by the chief justice should be shifted to some other bench because the accused party had engaged Aitzaz Ahsan to defend it. On June 14, the Haris Steel appointed Aitzaz Ahsan as its counsel who, through his junior lawyer Shaukat Ali Javed, requested the chief justice during June 15 hearing that the case may be transferred to some other bench. The chief justice observed that Aitzaz could appear before his bench, if he wanted to argue the case. The next hearing will be held on June 29. Some wagging tongues suggest Aitzaz Ahsan has been engaged to get the case transferred from the bench headed by the chief justice to some other bench in order to get a favourable judgment because of his influence. Our judicial history is replete with such anomalies that readily give rise to misgivings, often very hurting, isn’t it, what do you think?     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   India invited to global meet on Af-Pak India along with other key global powers and regional players has been invited to an international meet on Afghanistan and Pakistan in Trieste, Italy later this week. Iran, which has been also invited for the crucial Af-Pak meet by host Italy, has not yet responded. “We expect an open dialogue on the challenges that we face together in Afghanistan and Pakistan,” said a State Department official. However, the senior official could not comment what would be expected from India at this meeting with regard to Pakistan. India's role in Afghanistan is well known, where New Delhi is quietly involved in massive developmental activities. The meeting would be held on the sidelines of the G-8 Foreign Minister's meeting. Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs, Mr. William Burns and Special envoy for Pakistan and Afghanistan Mr. Richard Holbrooke would represent the US. Italians are convinced, he said, that this is a global problem and can only be dealt with globally. “If we all working together, I think there's a significant amount of common interest in Pakistan in bolstering the Pakistani government and in providing m ore resources for its fight against the Taliban and other extremists, and for finding money,” he said.     [6] Comments               Post Your Commets   Conciliation alone can speedily resolve Iranian crisis Iranian authorities stepped up their crackdown on protesters Monday, as officials for the first time acknowledged evidence of voting irregularities in this month's presidential election, the issue that has sparked the largest street demonstrations since the Islamic Republic was established three decades ago. An initial investigation into the June 12 presidential election has shown that the number of ballots cast exceeded the number of registered voters in 50 locales, a discrepancy affecting 3 million votes or more, according to the spokesman for the Guardian Council, a body of jurists and clerics in charge of safeguarding the constitution. The council will deliver its final verdict on the disputed election by Wednesday, according to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency. Meanwhile, officials announced plans to set up a special court and warned that anyone who encouraged more demonstrations, including opposition leader Mir Hossein Mousavi, will be subject to arrest. Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has ordered the protesters to halt their marches and ridiculed the vote-fraud allegations last Friday in his prayer sermon. But the Guardian Council, whose members are appointed directly or indirectly by Khamenei, indicated Monday that the vote count was indeed problematic. "It has yet to be determined whether the possible change in the tally is decisive in the election results," Abbas-Ali Kadkhodai, a spokesman for the council, said according to a news Web site. Despite warnings, Mousavi, who the government said suffered a landslide defeat to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, called on his supporters Monday to continue peaceful protests, sharpening his conflict with the government. The government has blamed Britain and the U.S. for stirring up the unrest. Following threats and the expulsion of the BBC Tehran bureau chief, the British Embassy ordered the families of its expatriate staff out of the country Monday. On Monday, heavy contingents of riot police safeguarded key downtown squares, including Haft Tir, where police using tear gas chased off about 200 demonstrators. A speedy resolution of the problem is essential. But such an approach can only be made easier if the confrontational position adopted by Ayatollah Khamenei is eschewed in favour of a conciliatory and persuasive position. At the same time, it should be for outside powers to bear in mind that it is for the Iranian people themselves to resolve the crisis. Happily, though, global reaction to the Iran situation has been restrained. It should stay that way, even as earnest efforts are made to resolve the crisis.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Rs2.482 trillion Federal Budget presented in NA ISLAMABAD: Federal Budget 2009-10 envisaging a total outlay of Rs2.482 billion has been presented. State Minister for Finance and Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar presented the Federal Budget 2009-10 in which 15 percent raise has been announced in the salaries and pension of in-service and retired government employees. The target of GDP for the next fiscal year has been fixed at 3.3 percent while measures will be adopted for bringing the inflation rate below 10 percent. The State Minister said the total allocation for Public Sector Development Program (PSDP) has been made at Rs646 billion; Rs 343 billion for Defence Rs31.60 billion for education sector and; Rs6.5 billion for health. The allocation for Benazir Income Support Program has been raised to Rs70 billion which will be distributed among 5 million deserving people. Rs50 billion have been earmarked for the relief and rehabilitation of affectees of Malakand Division. In order to impart training to the youth under National Internship Program Rs3.60 billion have been allocated. Under the program 30,000 youth will be provided professional training in their respective fields. The target for tax revenue collection has been raised by 15.7 percent to 1.3775 trillion while the rest of the expenditure will be met through foreign loans and grants. Rs178 billion are expected to be received through Friends of Pakistan Consortium. The fiscal deficit is expected at 4.9 percent for the next fiscal year. Increase in the allowance has been announced for the armed forces deployed on the western front. This allowance will be equal to one month’s initial basic pay with effect from 1st July 2009, as announced by the President of Pakistan. Feel free to share your opinion with us on the State Minister’s speech on Budget 2009-10.     [54] Comments               Post Your Commets   Stalled peace process benefiting terrorists Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said the Indian leadership would realise sooner than later that the breakdown of the peace process works only to the advantage of terrorists. “Resumption of negotiations for the peaceful resolution of all our outstanding issues, including the core issue of Kashmir, is the only way forward for establishing a lasting peace in South Asia,” he said while addressing the participants of the National Defence and War Course at the National Defence University on Friday. Dilating upon his vision for Pakistan and relations with its neighbours, including India, and his government’s vision for the economic stability, the prime minister said bilateral relationship with India, regrettably, had always been characterised by suspicion and mistrust. “At the heart of this mistrust lies the core issue of Kashmir. We have made sincere efforts to put the relations back on track by adhering to the composite dialogue and made noteworthy progress towards confidence building, bilateral trade and people to people contacts,” he added. After the Mumbai incident, the prime minister said, India opted for putting the ongoing peace process on hold. “This indeed is unfortunate. We, on our part, remain committed to having friendly, cooperative and good neighbourly relations with India,” he said. What are your views on the issue?     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Obama seeks new beginning between US, Muslims Quoting from the Holy Qura’an for emphasis, President Barack Obama called for a “new beginning between the United States and Muslims” recently and said together, they could confront violent extremism across the globe and advance the timeless search for peace in the Middle East. “This cycle of suspicion and discord must end,” Obama said in a widely anticipated speech in one of the world’s largest Muslim countries, an address designed to reframe relations after the terrorist attacks of Sept 11, 2001, and the US-led war in Iraq. Obama said his country does not want to keep its troops in Afghanistan. “Make no mistake: we do not want to keep our troops in Afghanistan. We seek no military bases there,” he said. “We would gladly bring every single one of our troops home if we could be confident that there were not violent extremists in Afghanistan and Pakistan determined to kill as many Americans as they possibly can. But that is not yet the case.” Obama, however, said his country’s commitment to fulfill its role, as part of a 46-country coalition will “will not weaken” despite the costs involved. “It is costly and politically difficult to continue this conflict,” he said. “We also know that military power alone is not going to solve the problems in Afghanistan and Pakistan.” He added the US plans to invest 1.5 billion dollars each year over the next five years in construction and aid money to the displaced in Pakistan, and 2.8 billion dollars to help Afghans develop their economy. In a gesture to the Islamic world, Obama conceded at the beginning of his remarks that tension “has been fed by colonialism that denied rights and opportunities to many Muslims, and a Cold War in which Muslim-majority countries were often treated as proxies without regard to their own aspirations.” “And I consider it part of my responsibility as president of the United States to fight against negative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear,” said the president, who recalled hearing prayer calls of ‘Azaan’ at dawn and dusk while living in Indonesia as a boy. At the same time, he said the same principle must apply in reverse. “Just as Muslims do not fit a crude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire.” Obama said the actions of violent extremist Muslims are “irreconcilable with the rights of human beings”, and quoted the Qura’an to make his point: “be conscious of God and always speak the truth.” “Islam is not part of the problem in combating violent extremism, it is an important part of promoting peace,” he said. “Hamas must put an end to violence, recognise past agreements, and recognise Israel’s right to exist,” he said of the organisation the United States deems as terrorist. “The Palestinian Authority must develop its capacity to govern, with institutions that serve the needs of its people,” Obama said. “At the same time, Israelis must acknowledge that just as Israel’s right to exist cannot be denied, neither can Palestine. The United States does not accept the legitimacy of continued Israeli settlements” on the West Bank and outskirts of Jerusalem, he said. “It is time for these settlements to stop.” As for Jerusalem itself, he said it should be a “secure and lasting home for Jews and Christians and Muslims ...” Obama also said the Arab nations should no longer use the conflict with Israel to distract their own people from other problems. Obama said he has a commitment to governments “that reflect the will of the people”. And yet, he said, “No system of government can or should be imposed upon one nation by any other.” At times, there was an echo of Obama’s campaign mantra of change in his remarks, and he said many are afraid it cannot occur. “There is so much fear, so much mistrust. But if we choose to be bound by the past, we will never move forward,” he said. Will Obama speech satisfy Muslim world? Why this bloodshed in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine, if U. S. not against the humanity? Isn’t U.S. pursuing double-standard policy? Let us know your comments.     [15] Comments               Post Your Commets   Suicide blast in Lahore More than 20 persons, including policemen largely, were killed while over 200 sustained injuries in a suicide bomb attack at Rescue 15 building near CCPO Office. According to police, five persons riding a van broke the barrier of the two-storey 15 building at Queens road and resorted to firing. Next moment they rammed the 100 kg explosives’ laden vehicle into the 15 building. As a result, the building was completely destroyed. Adjacent building of security agencies, office of CCPO and a petrol pump also suffered severe damage. Police sources confirmed that more that 40 policemen were on duty in the 15 Rescue building when the blast occurred. The dozens of injured were shifted to hospitals by Rescue 1122, Edhi and police teams. Emergency has been declared in all city hospitals including Ganga Ram, Mayo, Services, General and Jinnah hospitals. Meanwhile, the police teams arrested four suspects from the site of the blast. The huge operation is ongoing at the site to recover bodies and rescue the injured. A team consisting of the ISI, MI and IB officials has been constituted to probe into the suicide blast. How do you view this tragic incident and what steps the government should undertake to curb the menace of terrorism and extremism in Pakistan?     [69] Comments               Post Your Commets   Military operation against militants, mass Exodus Security forces continue battling militants in Swat, Malakand division and other areas and made significant achievements in the operation named as .Rah-e-Rast'. The Army dropped heliborne troops, including commandos, in the stronghold of militants’ chief Maulana Fazlullah and cleared the area of militants. According to the Inter Services Public Relations, security forces in Swat, Shangla, Dir Lower and Buner had achieved considerable successes and, so far, over 800 militants had been killed in the ongoing operation while over 30 personnel of security forces were martyred and more than 100 received injuries. The militants’ strongholds in Mingora, Peochar, Kabal, Khwazakhela and Shangla have been targeted successfully. Banni Baba Ziarat training camp of the militants has been destroyed, reportedly killing 200 militants. According to the military spokesman, a corps headquarters had been designated as Special Support Group for the management of the IDPs. The Corps Commander Mangla Lt-Gen Nadeem Ahmed has been designated as the officer in charge of the group in view of his vast experience as the deputy chairman Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra). The group has been formed at a time when the mass exodus from the restive Swat Valley continues. According to the United Nationas and other world aid agencies, over one million people have fled the conflict zones. Dear readers, your comments are welcome on this grimmer in northern areas. How do you view the situation and what steps the government should take in order to minimise destruction and maximise the gains? What should be done to help the IDPs?     [105] Comments               Post Your Commets   US plans more funding for Afghanistan than Iraq The United States has planned more funding for Afghanistan in next year’s proposed defence budget, marking a shift in priorities that the US Defence Secretary Robert Gates seeks to execute in defense spending, according to a report published in the Washington Post. According to the paper, the $130 billion in war funds that are part of the fiscal 2010 budget request includes $65 billion for Afghanistan operations and $61 billion for Iraq. For 2009, $87 billion was requested for Iraq and $47 billion for Afghanistan. The proposed funding covers the deployment of 21,000 additional U.S. troops to Afghanistan this year, raising the total to 68,000. More funds would be required if President Obama decides to meet the request of U.S. commanders for 10,000 more troops next year. The funding includes $700 million for training and equipment to improve Pakistan's counterinsurgency capability, a major increase in such assistance over the $400 million sought for this year, the newspaper said. The Pentagon's $534 billion base budget is $21 billion, or 4 percent, larger than last year's. It includes key initiatives that reflect Gates's plan to reshape the military so it is more suited to fighting today's wars and less focused on preparing for future conflicts. According to report, major spending increases include $2 billion on intelligence and reconnaissance, $500 million to field and maintain helicopters, and funds to add 2,400 personnel to Special Operations Forces in 2010 as well as aircraft to support them. More will be spent on some modern weapons systems, with an increase in the purchase of littoral combat ships and the "fifth generation" F-35 fighter jets. But the report said that budgetary pressure had slowed the growth of defense spending overall, which increased 2 percent in inflation-adjusted terms for 2010, compared with an average of 4 percent from 2001 to 2009. The 2010 Pentagon budget proposed by Obama eliminates $8.8 billion in weapons programs that were in the 2009 budget, restructuring or terminating those considered "troubled." It would halt the program for the F-22 fighter jet after 187 are manufactured. Other major cuts include ending the $13 billion presidential helicopter program, which has more than doubled in cost; the $19 billion transformational satellite program; and the Air Force combat search-and-rescue helicopter program, as well as cutting $1.2 billion from missile defense. According to the report, senior defense officials said the Pentagon is not backing away from its reforms. There have been "no significant adjustments" to the budget request, said Robert Hale, the Pentagon's comptroller. Dear readers - how do you view the proposed funding plan of the Pentagon? What far-reaching implications could it have on Pakistan's strategic interests in Afghanistan and how do you analyse the merits and demerits of the plan? Your comments are welcome on this important development!     [7] Comments               Post Your Commets   All-out war declared against militants Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has ordered the armed forces to launch an operation against the militants and terrorists so as to flush them out completely from Swat and Malakand in order to ensure security, restore honour and dignity of the homeland and for the protection of the people. The prime minister also appealed to the nation, political leadership, civil society, religious leaders and all the institutions of the country to lend their complete support to the government and the armed forces for the cause of Pakistan. Gilani said the time had come to show unity in our ranks and stand up against those who wanted to make Pakistan of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal hostage on gunpoint. “The nation should get united and support the armed forces and the government to foil their designs,” he appealed to the nation. The prime minister also said that one billion rupees had been provided for the rehabilitation of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). The premier also talked about his government’s seriousness to implement the Nizam-e-Adl agreement, saying that since the day one the government took seriously the situation in Swat and made efforts to resolve the issue through dialogue. The prime minister said for the peace in swat, the government had sustained internal and external pressure but stuck to the agreement. The prime minister said the accord envisaged that after the enforcement of the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation, militants would lay down arms for the sake of complete peace in the Malakand division. However, he said the militants continued violating the accord, attacked security forces and targeted government installations and buildings. He said the militants misconstrued the government’s desire for peace as its weakness. He said the government had decided not to bow down before the terrorists and extremists and would force them to lay down their arms. The prime minister said the country was facing security and economic challenges and both were interlinked. He asked the people to come forward to safeguard the sovereignty of Pakistan. He urged the Ulema and Mashaikh to help project Islam’s true spirit. “We have to highlight before the world that there is no place in Islam for suicide attacks and that Islam is a religion of peace and brotherhood,” he maintained. He said it was a baseless propaganda that Islam was spread through the force of sword. Your comments are welcome on Prime Minister’s speech – what should be done by the government to get the country rid of the scourge of terrorism and extremism? And what is our responsibility as a nation at this critical movement in our history?     [45] Comments               Post Your Commets   Violence again grips Karachi An armed attack on a locality of North Karachi triggered violence on a large scale in central and eastern parts of Karachi, claiming 27 lives. In the North Karachi gunbattle, five people, including two activists of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), were killed, while more than 10 vehicles and several stalls were torched. Following the incident, target killings started in which several people lost their lives. Also, stalls and tea hotels were torched in several localities, including Sohrab Goth, Samanabad, Khwaja Ajmer Nagri, North Karachi, Shah Faisal and New Karachi. During a crackdown by the Rangers and police, 15 people were arrested from the affected areas of the city. Meanwhile, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain and Awami National Party (ANP) leadership appealed to the people of Karachi that they should remain peaceful and calm despite the loss of several lives in the city. Meanwhile, Sindh Governor Dr. Ishratul Ebad Khan directed the authorities concerned to take stringent and foolproof measures to ensure safety of the residents of Karachi. He also appealed to the people of Karachi to keep a watch over miscreants and also maintain unity and solidarity in order to foil the conspiracy against peace. Pakistan’s economic and social hub is again in the grip of terror and worsening law and order. The situation still remains tense and Karachiites are left to fend for themselves. The government and political parties are playing to the gallery and no one is heeding to people’s woes. What should be done to bring normalcy in the city and how do you view grimmer in Karachi?     [53] Comments               Post Your Commets   Friends at last After listening to a dramatic speech by President Asif Ali Zardari in which he warned of a growing terrorist threat in the northern areas of his country, and told an already scared world "If we lose you lose," the Friends of Pakistan group, at its ministerial meeting in Tokyo, pledged more than five billion dollars as new financing over the next two years. The funds, which include a billion dollars each from the US and Japan, 700 million from Saudi Arabia and 640 million over four years from the European Union are intended, according to a statement from Japan and the World Bank who co-chaired the Tokyo meeting, to support human development and the building of social safety nets. The 40 nations and other groups also reaffirmed their commitment to ongoing projects worth US $15 billion. Though Pakistan did not put forward a request for US$30 billion to finance a variety of projects including big dams and infrastructure as it had hoped, mainly because donors felt unready to give a ten-year commitment to the country as envisaged under the plan, it will be relieved by the results of the one-day session. The Friends of Pakistan group established last year in the US has finally come good. Pakistan has an assurance it will receive at least some of the funding it requires to replenish its badly depleted coffers and fight off the threat of bankruptcy. Donors also stressed they were convinced Pakistan was doing all it could to fight terror and were eager to assist it in this. But for all the kind words, Islamabad needs to realize it may be rapidly running out of chances, and time. Pakistan must use the lifeline extended to it to pull itself back, over the edge. It must combine stepped up efforts to offer people development and an escape from abject policy with a more cohesive policy against militancy. The country's rulers must realize they need now to deliver – otherwise the world may decide to abandon the country to its fate and leave it to face the results of the decades of poor governance that have reduced it to a situation where it must depend on the goodwill – or the fear – of donors in order to survive. Dear readers – your comments are welcome on this important development!     [35] Comments               Post Your Commets   India braces for world's biggest vote India's political leaders have wrapped up campaigning for the first phase of month-long elections that are expected to produce a hung parliament and a fragile coalition government. The April 16 vote will take in large swathes of northern and eastern India, including areas beset by a range of violent insurgencies involving tribal rebels, Maoist guerrillas and militants. In order to ensure voter safety, more than two million security personnel will be rotated around the country over the five phases of balloting that end on May 13, with results to be announced three days later. Campaigning is prohibited on the eve of polling in each region. Neither of India's two main national parties - the incumbent Congress and the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), is seen as capable of securing an absolute majority. With a myriad of other parties expected to grab up to 50 per cent of the 543 parliamentary seats on offer, the final results are likely to kick off an intense period of political horse-trading as the main players rush to pull together a working coalition. "At the moment, Congress seems to have the advantage as more parties appear willing to do business with it," said Mahesh Rangarajan, a professor at Delhi University. "But if the Congress party falls short of 135 seats on its own, then finding partners will be difficult. I wouldn't say it's wide open but it's certainly an open situation." The main candidates for prime minister are both veterans. The incumbent, Manmohan Singh of the Congress Party, is 76, while his main challenger, the BJP's LK Advani, is even older at 81. The prospect of a shaky coalition of disparate allies is hardly an appealing one, with any new government facing key national security concerns and a steep economic downturn after years of soaring growth. The campaign has become heated at times, and on Monday the Election Commission condemned unnamed party leaders for speeches "inciting communal hatred." One high-profile candidate, Varun Gandhi, a scion of the Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, was jailed after threatening to cut off the hands of anyone who dared harm India's majority Hindus. The regions voting on Thursday include sensitive areas of Kashmir near the Pakistan border and northeastern states on the frontier with Bangladesh. Dear readers – What far-reaching implications could upcoming Indian Lok Sabha polls have on Indo-Pak bilateral relations? Will there be any melting of ice after the formation of new government in New Delhi? Will the new Indian government shun its traditional anti-Pakistan rhetoric? Your comments are welcome on this important regional development!     [23] Comments               Post Your Commets   President signs Nizam-e-Adl Regulation President Asif Ali Zardari has signed the Nizam-e-Adl Regulation for Swat, after the National Assembly passed a resolution in favour of the draft regulation. Earlier, the National Assembly unanimously passed a resolution recommending the president sign the regulation to be imposed in the Malakand division in accordance with a peace agreement between the NWFP government and Sufi Muhammad, the chief of Tehreek Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi and father-in-law of Taliban chief Mullah Fazlullah. The Regulation was submitted to the President by the NWFP Governor and the President had asked the Prime Minister to lay it before the Parliament considering it expedient for supremacy of the Parliament. The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) had expressed its reservations over the resolution but abstained from voting to allow it to be passed unanimously. MQM legislators left the House before voting began. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani told the National Assembly that the issue had been brought before the House to build a broad national consensus and establish the supremacy of parliament. He said the NWFP government had signed the deal after consulting the federal government. Leader of Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan declined to comment on the “merits and demerits” of the deal saying it was a sensitive issue. But he accused the government of not owning the peace agreement and “dragging the parliament into the matter” to avoid international pressure. Your comments are welcome on this important issue – what are the merits and demerits of this regulation and what should be done to restore peace in tribal areas?     [34] Comments               Post Your Commets   ‘India, Pakistan, US must tackle al-Qaeda together’ The threat posed by al-Qaeda and its allies can be met only with the joint efforts of arch rivals India and Pakistan, as well as the United States, the top US envoy to the region said on Wednesday. “For the first time since Partition (of the Sub-continent in 1947), India, Pakistan and the United States face a common threat, a common challenge and we have a common task,” US Envoy for Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke told reporters in New Delhi. “Now that we face a common threat we must work together,” said Holbrooke, who held talks here with senior Indian officials following visits to Pakistan and Afghanistan. But in his joint briefing with Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Holbrooke stressed that Washington had no intention of pushing New Delhi into resuming a peace dialogue with Islamabad. There are also concerns that Pakistan wants a solution to disputed Kashmir as an element of any regional peace efforts, a condition that India rejects. “We did not come here to ask India to do anything. We did not come here with any requests,” Holbrooke said, adding that his only brief was to “inform and consult with” Indian officials. Those comments appeared aimed at addressing Indian concerns that Washington was intent on mediating a rapprochement with Pakistan. “We must work together...The national security of all these countries is clearly at stake,” Holbrooke said. Earlier, both the US leaders met with Indian National Security Adviser MK Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon and discussed the regional situation with special reference to the war on terror. Holbrooke said the challenges would not be easy and regional threats and challenges had to be met with regional responses. He said India was an important power in the region and its role was ‘absolutely critical’ in many positive ways. He condemned Taliban chief Baitullah Mehsud, who has recently warned that two suicide bombings would be carried out in Pakistan per week unless the US stopped the missile strikes. “He is a terrible man, a great danger to Pakistan, to Afghanistan. He is as bad as any other actor in a very dangerous region,” he said. He said the purpose of their visit to the region was to hold consultation with ‘regional partners’ what could be done together. He said the use of military power alone to counter terrorism was no longer valid. A civil-military combination was important for stability, peace and good governance. Your comments are welcome.     [15] Comments               Post Your Commets   SC stays Feb 25 order, Shahbaz Sharif restored as CM Punjab The Supreme Court of Pakistan has stayed its decision of February 25 in which it disqualified Pakistan Muslim League-N President, Mian Shahbaz Sharif to hold the office of chief executive of Punjab province. The five-member bench headed by Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jilani granted a stay to Shahbaz Sharif on a writ filed through Khawaja Haris till the disposal of main petition. The bench also announced that the operation of judgment shall be suspended and the petitioner shall resume the office of Chief Minister of Punjab with immediate effect. The apex court on February 25 disqualified PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif and his brother Shahbaz Sharif from contesting elections and holding public office, a decision which caused widespread protests and flung the country into weeks of political chaos. The government on March 19 filed appeals against the decision and has since reinstated Supreme Court chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry in a package of measures designed to defuse the standoff.     [32] Comments               Post Your Commets   Terrorists storm Police Training Centre Manawan A band of armed terrorists equipped with sophisticated weapons Monday morning stormed the Police Training Centre, here killing several under-training personnel and causing injuries to scores of the recruits in the exchange of indiscriminate firing. A battalion of elite force commandoes of Punjab Police later joined by troops of Pakistan Rangers supported by helicopters of Pakistan Army Aviation have taken position in the centre and endeavoring to flush out the terrorists from the gory scene. The Commandoes of Pakistan Rangers along with Punjab Police have successfully entered the centre premises from rooftop of the training centre building and started the operation to rescue the marooned personnel besides shooting the terrorists on the spot. People gathered outside the centre were boosting the morale of the operation forces engaged in carrying out the operation against terrorists. Again terror has struck the country – do you think it is time to take a holistic view of the situation? The menace of terror needs to be dealt with iron hands? Else we will continue to suffer at the hands of handful of terrorists and extremists. Your comments are welcome!     [85] Comments               Post Your Commets   President’s address to the joint session of Parliament President Asif Ali Zardari has recommended lifting of governor’s rule in Punjab. Addressing a joint sitting of the Parliament, President Zardari said: “I recommend lifting of governor-rule in Punjab.” President Zardari has called for constituting a committee of all political parties to propose amendments in the Constitution in light of Charter of Democracy (CoD). "The amendments should be finalized without any further delay," President Zardari said while addressing the joint sitting of parliament. President Zardari said, "We hold the Parliament in the highest esteem. Supremacy of the Parliament has been a dream of our leader, Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. The Charter of Democracy flows from her belief in the supremacy of the Parliament." He said that about six months ago in his first address to the joint parliament, he had called upon the Parliament, to form an all parties committee, to revisit the 17th amendment and Article 58-2(b). He said the country is passing through a severe economic recession as the global meltdown has badly affected country’s economy. The president vowed to root out terrorism and extremism. The president said an investment of 30 billion dollars had been planned in the power sector up to year 2016. He said the government had inherited power shortage of around 3,500 Megawatts. The President said the sources of funding of 8 billion dollars Basha Dam had been identified, and its construction would start in about a year’s time. He appreciated the way in which the government had taken the challenge head on, adding that private sector had been encouraged to come forward. President Zardari said a number of IPPs and rental power projects were being set up, and said some of them would be re-commissioned this year and relieve the burden. He mentioned that the construction of 1000 MW Neelum Hydel Project in Azad Kashmir had started. Dear readers – how do you view President’s address, would it strengthen the process of political cohesion and national unity? Will President Zardari’s new approach steer the country out of present crises and lead the country to socio-economic turnaround? Your comments are welcome!     [16] Comments               Post Your Commets   Obama unveils new US policy for Pakistan, Afghanistan U.S. President Barack Obama Friday said Al-Qaeda is ‘actively planning' attacks on US from safe havens in Pakistan. Unfolding a new US strategy to defeat Taliban and Al-Qaeda, Obama said Pakistan must be 'stronger partner' in destroying Al-Qaeda safe havens. In this connection, he said Pakistan would be provided financial assistance of 1.5 billion dollars each year for the next five years. However, he said US would not provide a blank cheque to Pakistan “as they also needed to prove their commitment in war against terror.” President Obama said the goal is to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al-Qaida in Afghanistan and Pakistan. The situation in Afghanistan is increasingly perilous, President Barack Obama warned. "Attacks against our troops, our NATO allies, and the Afghan government have risen steadily. Most painfully, 2008 was the deadliest year of the war for American forces." "I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle, and defeat Al-Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan and to prevent their return to either country in the future," Obama said. "That is the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just. And to the terrorists who oppose us, my message is the same: we will defeat you. " He said US will not turn blind eye to Afghan government corruption. The US President proposed setting up a new contact group on Afghanistan including Iran to tackle the Taliban and Al-Qaeda insurgency. Dear readers – we would welcome your comments on new US policy for Afghanistan and Pakistan. What do you think of this policy and its far-reaching implications? And what would be the reaction in Pakistan?     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   Suicide bombing in Jamrud mosque A suicide bomber killed at least 50 people when he blew himself up in a crowded mosque near a security check post in Jamrud town of Khyber Agency on Friday. The attack came hours before U.S. President Barack Obama was scheduled to announce a new strategy for the Afghan war, an approach U.S. officials said would also recognise Pakistan as a key part of the conflict. Police, paramilitary forces and government officials were among the congregation in the mosque, about 30 km (20 miles) from the Afghan border. The bomber set off his explosives as a cleric began prayers. "So far we have counted 50 bodies," Tariq Hayat Khan, the top administrator in the Khyber region, told Geo news, adding the toll could rise. Between 250 and 300 people were in the mosque and about 125 wounded had been taken to Sherpao, Lady Reading and other hospitals in Peshawar, he said. There was no claim of responsibility but militants had earlier threatened to blow up the police post next to the mosque, residents of the area said. It is surprising, those who claim that they are doing Jihad and then carry out suicide attacks inside mosques during Friday prayers. Dear readers – do you think these so-called militants are doing any good to Pakistan or Islam? Frustration and anger lurk everywhere in the country. The latest act of suicide bombing is just one manifestation of it. There is also a threat that the situation in the area could grow still more complex. The issues of extremism and terrorism must be tackled head-on. Otherwise we will see only more acts of violence and more unrest in the territory, where there has been far too much violence already for decades adding to the sense of instability we face as a federation. Your comments are welcome!     [18] Comments               Post Your Commets   Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry restored as Chief Justice of Pakistan The crisis that had the potentiality of turning into catastrophe has been averted. Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has been re-instated. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani announced reinstatement of the deposed Chief Justice and other judges. “I restore the deposed chief justice and others according to the promise made by me and the President,” Gilani said in a televised address to the nation. The announcement, in light of the directive of President Asif Ali Zardari, met the main demand of the political parties and the lawyers’ community. He said, “A notification to this effect is being issued now.” He said Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry would replace Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar, who retires on March 21. Gilani pledged to “continue the politics of reconciliation.” The deposed Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was removed from service by former President Pervez Musharraf on March 9, 2007, sparking a wave of protest that led to his resignation from his office on August 18, 2008. The crisis that had the potentiality of turning into catastrophe has been averted. Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has been re-instated. However, to put things in its correct perspective, it must be said that the combined efforts of the lawyers, the elite citizens, the media, the political parties of various denominations and most importantly, the solidarity exhibited by the nation, has achieved the improbable. A new beginning has been made. It is time to review and revise our national policies to insure that we no longer continue stumbling down a path of decline. The system is fundamentally flawed and it requires the combined efforts of all branches of govt. and the people of all walks to focus their attention to fix the problem at the earliest. The convergence of nation into a missionary zeal must be kept alive. Having accomplished the first priority they should now focus their attention towards national reconstruction, consolidation and growth. All parochial and provincial notions must be jettisoned and it is time for national unity and ironing out of shallow and superficial differences. Your comments on this historic development are welcome!     [50] Comments               Post Your Commets   Geo news transmission blocked in parts of country The transmission of Pakistan’s premier news channel Geo news has been blocked in some parts of Karachi, Hyderabad, Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Quetta, Multan, Rawlakot, Muzaffarabad, Deepalpur and Sargodha. The concerned officials have directed the cable operators to place Geo news channel at the tail end, making it difficult for the viewers to watch the channel. Viewers of Geo News started making phone calls to Geo’s offices, trying to find out reasons for not receiving the transmission. People from every walk of life have strongly condemned the blocking of Geo news transmission. They expressed complete solidarity with Geo news. Pakistan Muslim League-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif has condemned the blocking of Geo news transmission in various cities of country. Speaking to Geo news, Nawaz said: “These steps have reminded us the negative tactics adopted by former dictator.” Pakistan Muslim League-Q secretary general Mushahid Hussain Syed said Geo news is being punished for airing the truth. Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chief Imran khan and MQM Senator Babar Khan Ghauri also condemned the blocking of Geo news. “Reporters Without Borders” condemned the action which, it said, has brought back memories of military rule in the country. Awani National Party (ANP) Secretary Information Zahid Khan has said that ANP strongly condemns the blockage of Geo news in different cities of the country. National People’s Party Chief Ghulam Mustafa Jatoi, Jamaat-e-Islami secretary general Munawar Hasan, Karachi Press Club (KPC) and Karachi Union of Journalists (KUJ) condemned blocking of Geo news transmission in the country. The secretary general of Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists, Mazhar Abbas said the act of blocking the transmission of any news channel or media cannot be justified. Is the blocking of Geo news transmission tantamount to suppressing freedom of expression and media? How do you view the blocking of Geo news in the backdrop of lawyers’ long march and present political situation in the country? Dear readers – Geo news values your continued support and your comments are welcome!     [52] Comments               Post Your Commets   Scuffles and arrests ahead of lawyers’ long march Overnight large-scale raids and arrests across the country continue unabated for thwarting the impending lawyers’ long march and sit-in in the federal capital on March 16. Scores of political workers and lawyers have been arrested. The government of Punjab has clamped section 144 in the province including Lahore, while it has been decided to deploy Pakistan Rangers in major cities and towns. Lists of political activists and lawyers have been prepared and their houses are being raided for arrests. Major political parties have asked their activists to reach Islamabad for staging sit-in on the constitution avenue. Many leaders of PML-N, PTI, JI and other political parties have gone underground on tip-off of the crackdown. Does the government's decision to clamp down on the march by outlawing protests and conducting mass arrests -- rather than allow the protest to be conducted -- underscore its skittishness? What would happen if the country goes into turmoil, would the government be able to stop lawyers’ long march? Will the long march bring about any political change in Pakistan?     [46] Comments               Post Your Commets   Cricketers shot in 'terror attack' on Sri Lankan team Seven people including five policemen were killed and six Sri Lankan cricketers were injured in a shooting attack in Lahore. Sri Lankan tour has been called off after the terrible incident. According to sources, unknown attackers opened fire on Sri Lankan cricket team bus near Liberty Market. Intense trade of fire occurred between police and unknown attackers. CCPO Lahore Habibur Rehman said there were 12 attackers carrying rocket launchers; hand grenade, Kalashnikovs and Mousers who reportedly reached the site in rickshaws. Seven people including five cops were killed in the shooting. Former cricket players have expressed their sadness over the incident and termed it a severe blow to Pakistan cricket. Despite several security warnings, it was Sri Lankan team who visited Pakistan. Now it seems that game of cricket will not add to our grounds for a longer period of time. Dear readers, your comments are welcome – what implications could this incident have on Pakistan cricket? who could be behind this cowardly act?     [40] Comments               Post Your Commets   SC disqualifies Sharif brothers The Supreme Court of Pakistan has disqualified former Prime Minister Mian Nawaz Sharif, who heads the country's largest opposition party Pakistan Muslim League (N), and his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif from contesting elections. The three-member Bench of Supreme Court, headed by Justice Musa K. Laghari, has disposed off Sharif brothers’ electoral eligibility case by declaring them ineligible in its two-line short verdict. Shahbaz Sharif under this verdict has lost his seat in the provincial assembly and being no longer member of the Punjab House, he is no more Punjab chief minister, as SC has annulled the earlier notification about his being chief minister. The Attorney General of Pakistan, Latif Khosa giving his arguments said that Punjab chief secretary and speaker were not the party in the case. Attorney General said that all the judges have taken oaths under the constitution and talking about the oath of the interim constitution was irrelevant. He said that Nawaz Sharif’s proposer and seconder could become parties in the case if the court permits them and their becoming parties was not necessary. He further said that it was the discretion of the judge to withdraw from the Bench and no one could direct him to pull out. Dear readers - we welcome your comments - what far-reaching implications the Supreme Court’s verdict could have on national politics? What could be the future strategy of Sharif brothers after the verdict? What could be the reaction of PML (N) workers over the decision? Will the verdict cause any political chaos in the country and now what would be the future of lawyers’ long march and sit-in?     [36] Comments               Post Your Commets   Shariah in Swat The NWFP government has abolished all “un-Islamic” laws in the Malakand division and put security forces engaged in the military operation in Swat in reactive mode after reaching an understanding about the enforcement of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation in seven districts of the Malakand division and Kohistan district of the Hazara division. The Maulana Fazlullah-led militants in Swat had announced a 10-day ceasefire after Maulana Sufi Muhammad, his father-in-law and chief of the defunct Tehrik Nifaz Shariat-e-Muhammad agreed with the government on the contents of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation. Sufi Muhammad has promised the government to convince Maulana Fazlullah and his fighters to lay down arms after the promulgation of Nizam-e-Adl Regulation. Maulana Sufi along with his hundreds of thousands of activists has reached the troubled valley of Swat – Local people have expressed hope that this development would bring durable peace and stability in Swat. Your comments on this important development are welcome – also suggest further steps the government should take to ensure lasting peace in other tribal areas.     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Dr A. Q. Khan set free after five years of house detention The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has declared renowned nuclear scientist Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan “a free citizen” while disposing of his quo warranto writ petition. As per the decision in this case, the interior ministry has offered terms and conditions for providing security to Dr. A. Q. Khan with due state protection that has been accepted by the counsel for the petitioner, Barrister Ali Zafar. The hearing of the case was conducted in chamber, and the court thereafter issued a detailed judgment. A section of the judgment was provided to the press while the other section was declared secret. Speaking on the grounds of his villa, the nuclear scientist said, “This has happened because of the keen interest taken by the president and the prime minister, and especially Interior Adviser Rehman Malik, who looked into the case and reviewed it.” After the IHC judgment, a smiling Dr. Qadeer emerged from his house in the federal capital and addressed reporters face-to-face for the first time since 2004. Dr. Qadeer hailed the order as a “good judgment”. “It’s a matter of joy. The judgment, by the grace of Allah, is good,” he told reporters. “It is because of this judgment that I am speaking to you,” said the 72-year-old scientist, who has been treated for prostate cancer. How do you view the verdict of IHC considering prevailing political situation in the country and world sensitivity over nuclear non-proliferation issue? Your comments are welcome!     [21] Comments               Post Your Commets   Tourism industry hits the skids in NWFP The most lucrative of the tourist destinations – Swat – lies in ruins and is inaccessible to all but those inside armoured personnel carriers (APCs) and the small businesses that feed into the tourist industry are all but wiped out. The grimmer in Swat has badly affected the tourism industry in the whole of NWFP– foreign as well as domestic tourists have stopped touring beautiful lush-green valleys of the province. Though law and order situation in Galyaat, Kaghan, Dir and Chitral remains normal yet terror has become a nightmare for tourists who prefer not to visit these resorts for vacation. Dear readers, would you second the opinion that under the existing circumstances, we need to target domestic tourism and encourage locals to keep our economy on the move? Another step could be to engage local populace (majority) and provide them with more resources for socio-economic development; it will discourage the militants (minority) and help eradicate terrorism and extremism from these areas. Let us know what can be done to revive the moribund tourism industry in NWFP? Your comments are welcome!     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Making Pakistan safe United States President Barack Obama, in an interview, has said he seeks a stable Pakistan and wants to ensure that insurgency in neighbouring Afghanistan does not affect Pakistan. Mr Obama seems especially concerned about the safety of Pakistan's nuclear weapons. In recent months, scenarios under which Al Qaeda-backed militants seize the weapons have been put forward by various US-based think tanks, and the issue is said also to have been brought up during briefings to top US officials. Now there has been conjecture that freed Guantanamo Bay prisoners could become involved in terrorist action against the US and could intensify efforts to grab nukes. Obama has already announced additional troops for Afghanistan. It is obvious that he sees the Pak-Afghan region as a flashpoint that needs to be more effectively managed. For this, as the president has said, a strong, united and stable Pakistan is important. The question is how such stability can be built. A bill which the US Vice President Joe Biden had helped draft had proposed large-scale development aid for Pakistan rather than only military assistance. That bill has been left on the roadside as dramatic change swept last year across the US. The stability Barack Obama believes Pakistan needs can come only when the abject poverty and social injustice in which extremist thought is rooted is addressed. Pakistan today needs massive investment in education, health and welfare. As part of his bid to usher in a better world and to build peace in Afghanistan and Pakistan, this is a priority Mr Obama needs to keep at the top of his list. Greater security for people in the country would after all work in everyone's interest, aiding in combating the terrorism that threatens people everywhere in the world. We would welcome your comments on this important development!     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Extremism far and wide Like a weed that spreads rapidly and kills all that existed before, extremism in its most ugly form has reached out from Swat into other places. Its tentacles now seem to be in the process of wrapping themselves around Quetta – a city that during the colonial age and the decades that immediately followed was known as 'Little London' due to its reputation for lively activity. Today, cafes and restaurants across the city are refusing to serve women. This extraordinary measure was adopted after militants visited the eateries, advising them to exclude women, as eating out with family was not permissible as per Islam. 'Family areas' in some restaurants have since been converted into 'gents only' dining spots. There are also accounts coming in of the harassment of women who do not wear the veil and of threats to the owners of Internet cafes and video shops. It is not Quetta alone that is affected. Over the last year, Peshawar has seen repeated attacks by militants. The writ of the state seems to have receded even from localities in the very heart of the city. Incidents involving extremist violence have taken place in Karachi, Lahore and other cities as well. It seems obvious that the militant 'victory' in Swat has encouraged similar action in other areas. Things there indeed seem to be going from bad to worse. The Taliban have now issued a list of 43 people from Swat, mostly ANP politicians and local notables, who they have deemed 'enemies' and ordered to appear before 'Sharia courts' or else 'face action'. The question is what the authorities are doing to combat this and save a society that stands on the very brink of anarchy. What are the grey areas in government’s policy that need to be addressed so that peace is restored in the country?     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   More drone attacks The first drone attacks under the Obama administration have taken place. Fourteen people were killed in the Waziristan area in the latest bombings. Just days earlier there had been another unusual operation carried out jointly by Pakistan and US forces deep within Pakistani territory, apparently targeting a hideout for militant leaders. For the present then it seems there is no change in policy. The rather optimistic assurance issued a short while ago by the prime minister, that drone attacks would come to an end once Obama took charge of leadership, seems to have come to naught. We all know how much damage, emotional, psychological and physical, the drone attacks have inflicted. Many civilians have died, among them women and children. There has also been a wave of anger over the US incursions, which adds to the hatred already in existence. The Obama administration has pledged to initiate better relations with the Muslim world. It is also in the midst of undertaking a policy review with regard to Pakistan; therefore, we had better come up with a robust strategy to counter the drone attacks. What strategy Pakistan should chalk out in coordination with the new US administration to stop these drone attacks? How the US decision-makers should be persuaded of the drone attacks which have so far caused much damage and contributed to the growth of militancy? Your comments are welcome on this festering issue!     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   A new era dawns with Obama Presidency Amid high expectations of a change in some controversial policies pursued in the last eight years, Barack Hussein Obama assumed power on Tuesday as the first ever African-American of the United States. Crowds streamed into the U.S. capital, jamming subway cars and packing the National Mall from the Capitol building to the Washington Monument hours before President-elect Barack Obama was to be sworn in. The 44th US president Barack Obama, in his maiden presidential speech, told the world’s Muslims that his administration would be looking for a ``new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect.'' In his inaugural address, Obama also pledged broader engagement in the world. Saying the people of the world should know that America is a friend of all who seek ``a future of peace and dignity,'' Obama vowed that the U.S. is "ready to lead once more.'' We would welcome your comments/opinion about Obama’s speech. What impact will his policies have on global politics? Do you think that ongoing war on terror could decide the future course of U.S. foreign policy? Will Obama presidency bring any ray of hope for Kashmiri people?     [30] Comments               Post Your Commets   The people's cause The account of how a brave individual from Swat, even while aware of the risk, helped a kidnapped Chinese engineer to escape from Taliban kidnappers, is educative. The man was later killed by the militants. His family today lives in fear of further reprisal. But the rather sad account of the fate of this man is a reminder of the fact that most people in the valley do not sympathize with militants. The residents of Swat are, on the whole, decent people who oppose the crazed cruelty unleashed by extremists. Most seek only a return to the life they knew before conflict overtook their valley. It is unfortunate so little is being done to defend these people. The story of the man who helped the Chinese hostage to reach an army check-post had not been told for weeks. Perhaps now that it has come to light, his family will be offered some kind of compensation. This of course will not bring the victim back, but it may help send out a signal to others that they are not alone in their plight and that the authorities do stand by them after all. Let us know of your opinion on the deteriorating situation in Swat and tribal belt – where education seems to have been slaughtered by the extremists who have torched almost every school in the valley and no ray of hope is there for the people. Will the people of tribal areas ever see peace? And what steps should be taken by the government to bring normalcy in these areas?     [15] Comments               Post Your Commets   Indo-Pak tension and role of CBMs Just as it seems things are settling down on the Pakistan-India front, someone or the other on the Indian side acts to hike up the tensions once more. First it was the Indian foreign minister, Pranab Mukherjee, who said that Islamabad was being evasive in its response to the 26/11 dossier. A day after that it was the Indian army chief, General Deepak Kapoor, who said that Pakistani troops had moved to the border with India and that "all options were open". Not without irony, the general at the same time warned that there was no need to build up war hysteria. The general quite conveniently forgot to mention that Indian troops had also been mobilized or that fighter jets had crossed into Pakistani air space a few weeks ago, and that the Pakistani redeployment was probably a response to all of that. And on Jan 15, the remarks of the army chief were followed by a remarkable statement by Shri Mukherjee who said seemed to concede that those involved in the attacks could be tried and prosecuted in Pakistan. This comes right after British Foreign Secretary David Miliband, after a meeting with his Indian counterpart in New Delhi, said pretty much the same thing. So while Mr. Mukherjee's most recent statement needs to be welcomed, the same cannot be said for General Kapoor's remarks, or even for what Shri Mukherjee said just a couple of days ago. Do you think that there is an element of growing frustration in the Indian response? Do you second that passing saner statements would help reduce prevailing tension between Pakistan and India? And what steps need to be taken to boost the Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) in South Asia? Your comments are welcome!     [8] Comments               Post Your Commets   Israel's aggression in Gaza defies all human standards! The pounding of the 40-kilometre-long Gaza coastal strip by Israeli jets, tanks and ground forces continues. Over 650 people are now reported dead in ten days of fighting. Israel’s claims that many were Hamas militants are, at best, highly dubious. The demographic and geographic realities of Gaza, a territory split in half by Israeli troops, makes it inevitable that when bombs fall, children, women, the elderly and the sick are among those who die. As has happened before, the world stands and twiddles its thumbs as the violence continues, from one day to the next and maybe into weeks. Israel has warned there will be no letup until it feels 'safe’. Arab leaders have made their usual noises, France and former UK prime minister Tony Blair have made some efforts to lead a peace initiative and condemnation has come in strong words at the UN General Assembly, but none of this can change the fact that Palestinians continue to die and the piece of land that many of them know as their only home has been pulverized. The US has watched in what amounts to complete silence. It is hard to say whether this is entirely due to the fact that it is poised at the point of presidential change or because the Bush administration has taken a traditionally soft line on Israel, backing it in its charges against Hamas. The happenings in Gaza have created waves everywhere. There have been protests in Muslim countries and indeed also in Europe. The sense of outrage is universal. So too are the fears that the events taking place will spur on greater militancy. This is a situation that few nations in the world would want. The question is, what are they doing to avert it and why do we still have no united outcry against the Israeli invasion of Gaza and the massacre of its hapless people. Your comments are welcome on 'grimmer in Gaza'!     [33] Comments               Post Your Commets   2008 ends with bittersweet memories The sun of 2008 has set leaving behind bittersweet memories. If seen in a broader context, the year 2008 was a period of many challenges for Pakistan. Acts of terrorism and U.S. missile strikes in tribal areas kept the entire nation in a state of uncertainty. The peace process between Pakistan and India came to a standstill all of a sudden following the Mumbai carnage, fueling tensions between two nuclear states. The people were particularly hit by gas and electricity crises as well as unprecedented price hike. However, dictatorship ended leading to the establishment of a democratic set up in the country after 2008 general elections, giving a new ray of hope to the nation. The arrival of democracy was hailed a positive change for Pakistan. However, issues like restoration of judiciary, law and order, economic instability and political uncertainty kept creating ripples throughout 2008. The year 2008 has left so much for our reckoning? What lessons the nation learnt and mistakes it made in 2008? Does the year 2009 augur well for Pakistan, and how can we rise as a nation? Your comments are welcome.     [30] Comments               Post Your Commets   India may still strike at Pakistan India may have ruled out the military option against Pakistan in the aftermath of Mumbai terror attacks but the international intelligence community continues to believe that strikes in PoK and elsewhere could still happen. Global intelligence service Stratfor, in its latest report, said, "Indian military operations against targets in Pakistan have in fact been prepared and await the signal to go forward." It added, "These most likely would take the form of unilateral precision strikes inside Azad Kashmir, along with special forces action on the ground in Pakistan proper." The private sector intelligence service said that unlike the massive movements of 2002 during Operation Parakram, India's preparations this time were more under the radar and not visible to the world at large. It’s only indication was the fact that the Border Security Force (BSF) has been put on high alert on the Western sector as well as the eastern sector — this paramilitary force's main mandate would be to prevent infiltration. "Sources have indicated to Stratfor that New Delhi is going through the diplomatic motions in order to give Pakistan the opportunity to take care of the militant problem itself — but the Indians know that Islamabad has neither the will nor the capability to address their concerns," Stratfor said. Three weeks after the attacks, India has gone out of its way to reassure everyone that it is not thinking of military action on Pakistan. This was most recently conveyed by Indian high commissioner to Pakistan Satyabrata Pal to Awami National Party chief Afsandyar Wali Khan in Islamabad. But India continues to tell all its international interlocutors that its patience will not last long, particularly if Islamabad cannot crack down on terrorism. India's actions thus far have been to build a kind of international consensus that the attacks were sourced in Pakistan. It has led to a huge spurt in international pressure on Pakistan to "do more" to combat terrorism. Almost every member of the international community also believes that the next attack in India would see the gloves come off. How far do you agree to the idea that India has finalized preparation to assault on Pakistan? What kinds of defective measures should be taken by Pakistan to respond properly in case India strikes? To what extent do you agree to this report? We welcome your comments.     [59] Comments               Post Your Commets   India calls off cricket team’s tour of Pakistan The Indian government has not allowed its national cricket team’s tour of Pakistan for playing three Tests, five One-day Internationals and a Twenty20 match. BCCI vice-president Rajiv Shukla while talking with Geo News said that the Indian cricket board had sought the government’s permission but the government has refused saying that this tour is not possible in the prevailing tense situation between the two countries. Is the cancellation of the tour is a right step by the Indian government who has made the present political situation the base for this decision? Should the game be kept separate from politics? England cricket team is touring India nowadays despite security threats then why the Indian team cannot tour Pakistan. What do you say in this regard?     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   Bush dodges flying shoes in Iraq Bush administration at the beginning of Iraq invasion in 2003 had assumed that Iraqi people would welcome them with garlands. But nobody would have ever imagined that President Bush would receive such a surprising farewell from Iraqis. Muntazer al-Zaidi, a reporter for the TV channel Al-Baghdadia hurled his shoes at President shoes and described it as "farewell kiss". Throwing shoes at somebody is a supreme insult in the Middle East. President Bush called it a bizarre behavior, and tried to underplay the anger that motivated Zaidi to risk his career. However, protests against his arrest in Baghdad show what he did was a representation of Iraqi emotion and anger, even though the action was inappropriate. Al-Baghdadia is devoting round-the-clock coverage to the incident and calling for the immediate release of the reporter in accordance with democracy and freedom of expression the Iraqis were promised by the American authorities. As a journalist Zaidi was not expected to show such a behavior, but looking from a human angle, his frustration and his action seems to be justified. He is an angry man who has filmed and reported innocent killings in his country. His inappropriate action was his protest against the people who are responsible for those killings. So what if he forgets his profession in order to protest for millions of Iraqis who would never get a chance to register their protest. Your comments are welcome.     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Indian warplanes violate Pak airspace Indian Air Force (IAF) fighter jets intruded into Pakistan’s airspace twice on Saturday, drifting some four kilometres inside the Kashmir and Lahore sectors. The Pakistan Air Force (PAF) fighters, already in the air as part of Air Defence Alert mission (Combat Air Patrol), rushed to counter the threat in the Kashmir and Lahore sectors, forcing the Indian warplanes to flee back to their airspace. The IAF first violated Pakistan’s airspace at 11:30 am, entering Azad Kashmir from the north in the Lipa sector. This intrusion was countered by the PAF interceptors. The next IAF adventure was in the Lahore sector at 1:30 pm. Again the PAF interceptors on the Air Defence Alert mission scrambled to Lahore, forcing the Indian fighter jets to retreat. The incident has raised fears of war as tension already prevailed between Pakistan and India in the backdrop of the Mumbai attacks. The Indian government later termed the action inadvertent. A similar statement was also issued from Pakistan’s PM’s office, saying ‘it was a mistake’. It is important to note it is almost impossible for a high-tech airforce to commit such a mistake twice on the same day. Defence analysts believe the violations were deliberate. The PAF spokesperson was of the view that the IAF wanted to check the readiness of the PAF. The PAF, that was already alert to thwart any aggression, confirmed violation of the country’s airspace by Indian warplanes. It said the Indian warplanes intruded four kilometres inside Pakistani territory and were forced to return by the PAF warplanes. The intrusion has been condemned by Pakistani people and political forces – considering gravity of situation, we invite our readers to post their opinion on this important development. Do you second that confidence-building measures need to be given priority and peace initiatives should be strengthened between Pakistan and India.     [54] Comments               Post Your Commets   UN awards Benazir Bhutto human rights prize An emotion-filled Bilawal Bhutto Zardari received the top UN human rights prize awarded posthumously to his mother, Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, for her outstanding contribution to promoting democracy and fundamental freedoms. The plaque was handed over to PPP chairman by the 192-member assembly president, Miquel d’Escoto Brochmann, who conducted the proceedings before a large number of diplomats, human rights activists and senior UN officials. The UN Prize in the Field of Human Rights, awarded every five years, was presented at a General Assembly ceremony marking the 60th anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The winners are former UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour; United States ex-Attorney-General Ramsey Clark; Executive Director and co-founder of Jamaicans for Justice Carolyn Gomes; Denis Mukwege, co-founder of the General Referral Hospital of Panzi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC); Human Rights Watch, represented by its executive director Kenneth Roth. The prize was first awarded on 10 December 1968 on the 20th anniversary of the adoption of the UDHR. The committee met in New York with the assistance of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights on 21 November 2008 to select the awardees from among 189 nominations received in accordance with the established rules. It is a historic movement in Pakistan’s history as Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto has been recognized by the United Nations and the world community as a champion for upholding human rights and who laid down her life fighting for the democratic rights of her people. Your comments on this important development are welcome!     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Indo-Pak ties at crossroads again Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has said that Indian leadership should not indulge in blame game over Mumbai attacks – He said Pakistan has decided on its own to extend full cooperation and assistance to India in the investigation of the incident. Addressing a press conference at the Foreign Office, Qureshi said the federal cabinet has strongly condemned the Mumbai incident and expressed grief and sorrow with Indian government and people. It also offered condolences to the bereaved families. The Foreign Minister said Pakistan stands fully committed to combat terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, as it has also been a victim of terrorism. Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Pakistan has also offered unconditional support and assistance to India to unearth the hands in this ghastly incident of Mumbai. He said Pakistan government attaches high importance to having good, friendly and neighborly relations with India, as these relations are necessary for peace and stability in the region. He said the Cabinet has also decided to remain fully engaged with the Indian government and political leadership. Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and the Director General of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt. General Ahmed Shuja Pasha had an important meeting to discuss the situation prevailing due to the recent incidents of terrorism in Mumbai. Military sources term next 48 hours to be highly critical – do you think that prevailing tension could lead to any eyeball-to-eyeball confrontation between two nuclear-armed countries? And does India have plans to carry out any misadventure against Pakistan? We would welcome your opinion on this important development!     [71] Comments               Post Your Commets   Mayhem in Mumbai No words can ever be enough to condemn the horror of what has happened in Mumbai. Armed militants captured various major places of Mumbai late Wednesday, the trade centre of Indian state of Maharashtra. Over 155 people, including foreigners, were killed and hundreds wounded in Mumbai mayhem. Five key police officers were also killed in these attacks. The armed militants took several people hostage at many places including the hotels of Taj and Oberoi. This is being termed as a terrorist activity of horrendous proportions in Indian history. Business centers including Mumbai stock market and educational institutions remain closed due to violent attacks. An unknown or little known organization Deccan Mujahideen has accepted the responsibility of the attacks and it made various demands including freedom of Hyderabad Deccan etc. We would welcome your viewpoint on this grim situation in Mumbai. Will it affect Indo-Pak relations? And what we, as a nation, can do to save our motherland from the scourge of terrorism and extremism?     [38] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pak-UAE relations: The way forward President Asif Ali Zardari and UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan have expressed their resolve to upgrade and further strengthen their existing bilateral ties, particularly in the trade and economic fields. President Zardari was given a rousing red-carpet welcome upon arrival. Sheikh Khalifa, in a rare gesture, received the Pakistani leader along with his cabinet members. Both leaders held in-depth discussions, covering bilateral ties and regional and international issues of mutual interest. During the one-on-one and bilateral talks, the two sides agreed on the need to expand and strengthen their bilateral cooperation in diverse fields. There was complete unanimity of views on bilateral matters with focus on encouraging the UAE public and private investment in joint ventures in the fields of energy, agriculture, construction and infrastructure development. President Zardari and the UAE president also discussed the peace and security situation in the region and stressed the need for joint efforts to improve the situation. President Zardari mentioned the recent meeting of the Friends of Pakistan (FoP) forum in Dubai and appreciated the efforts and role of the UAE in supporting Pakistan at the forum for the provision of financial assistance. UAE is an important Gulf state in Pakistan’s Middle East policy. What steps should be taken by the government to further cement Pakistan’s relations with this important Arab state? In what fields, Pakistan and UAE can boost their cooperation? And what role UAE could play in Pakistan socio-economic development? What opinion do you have on this issue? You are welcome to post your comments!     [23] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan knocks at IMF door again The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has decided to extend 7.6 billion dollars to Pakistan under a 23-month loan programme, said Adviser on Finance Shaukat Tareen. Addressing a press conference at State Bank of Pakistan, the Adviser said the IMF will provide this loan under stand by credit limit at interest rate ranging between 3.51 and 4.51 per cent and its repayment will be made in five years beginning from 2011. Governor SBP, Dr. Shamshad Akhtar was also present on the occasion. Shaukat Tareen said IMF has not attached any new condition to the loan facility. The IMF will release 4 billion dollars as the first tranche of the loan this year while the rest will be provided in the coming year. The Finance Adviser expressed his inability to announce the exact date of receiving the loan but said it will happen during the current month. He said the prime objective of receiving the IMF loan facility is to improve the position of SBP’s foreign exchange reserves. The loan will not be utilized in the stock market and for this purpose a fund is being set up from the country’s own resources, he clarified. Tareen ruled out the reduction of SBP’s discount rate until the easing of the current high inflation rate. The foreign rating agencies downgraded Pakistan’s credit rating due to the ongoing economic crisis in the country, he said, adding the government is doing its utmost to tackle this challenge. The Adviser said the balance of payments has been badly affected due to the depleting foreign exchange reserves of the country that shrank by half in one year. The rupee value declined by 21.8 per cent as oil and food prices galloped. The rate of inflation kept on rising, creating hardship for the people specially the poor. Also he said the Government has decided to stop borrowing from SBP and added that the fiscal deficit will be brought down to 4.1 per cent from 7.4 per cent and added the Government supports SBP stance of tightening the monetary policy. How far do you agree to the point that the IMF bailout package for Pakistan would help support our economy’s fragile state? Would it cut the economic deficit? How would this loan turn helpful in industrial and agricultural sectors? Would it slide the inflation rate? What opinion do you have on this issue? You are welcome to post your comments!     [30] Comments               Post Your Commets   A new era dawns with Obama presidency Obama's victory tonight marked beginning of a new era in American politics. First time in the history of the US, a black president is going to take charge of White House. It was indeed a historic moment. This victory was not only significant because it put an end to eight year republican rule in the US, but it is more significant because a change was need of the hour. Obama's victory showed that change was inevitable. This word "Change" was in fact the central point of Obama's campaign, which not only helped him to win presidential race over Hilary Clinton, but also swept his way to white house. U.S. President-elect Barack Obama in his maiden presidential speech promised, "Change is coming to America" as he gave a victory speech after becoming the first African-American to be elected to the White House. Obama's victory is a new hope for the country, but the bigger challenges lay ahead. In his first speech as victor, to an enormous throng at Grant Park in Chicago, Obama catalogued the challenges ahead. "The greatest of a lifetime," he said, "two wars, a planet in peril, the worst financial crisis in a century." The road ahead will be long. Our climb will be steep. We may not get there in one year or even one term, but America, I have never been more hopeful than I am tonight that we will get there," he added. Change of government in the US has an impact across the globe. However, this time the main driving force for the change was the economic crisis in the country, at least according to the voters who voted in this election. A survey of voters leaving polling places showed the economy was by far the top Election Day issue. Six in 10 voters said so, and none of the other top issues — energy, Iraq, terrorism and health care — was picked by more than one in 10. Obama through out his campaign seemed to be very strict about the foreign policy. His statements indicated that there are going to be very significant changes in the foreign policy; be it war in Iraq, Afghanistan-Pakistan, Iran, or Cuba. However, these surveys don't show that foreign policy was on voters agenda. It will be interesting to see in the coming time, how Obama deals with his foreign policy and economy, which both are in crisis. We invite you to share your opinion with us on this important topic.     [61] Comments               Post Your Commets   US Foreign Policy: What is next for Pakistan? The following article has been written by Ms. Tairah Firdous. She is a Ford Fellow and student participant at the East West Center Hawaii, USA. She recently had a conversation with Dr. Charles E. Morrison, President East West Center on the U.S. Election-08 and future of Pak-U.S. relations. In Dr. Morrison’s opinion, statements made during electoral battles are indicative of preferences but not necessarily policy decisions for the future, We invite you to share your opinion with us on this important topic. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Obama heated up his campaign last year by bombing Pakistan to hunt Al-Qaeda. Pakistan again figured high on the foreign policy segment of final presidential debates. The war in Iraq actually faded from view in the election and the focus instead remained on Pakistan, Iran and the pursuit of Osama bin Laden. “I'm not prepared to threaten Pakistan, as Sen. Obama wants to do, as he has said that he would announce military strikes into Pakistan. We’ve got to get the support of the people of Pakistan,” said presidential candidate McCain in first presidential debate. However, Obama reiterated his long-held position of going after targets inside Pakistan if Islamabad was unable or unwilling to do so. “We’ve got to deal with Pakistan, because al Qaeda and the Taliban have safe havens in Pakistan, across the border in the northwest regions. We’ve been giving them $10 billion over the last seven years, they have not done what needs to be done to get rid of those safe heavens,” affirmed Obama. “Statements are made are in response to the questions raised in presidential debates in context of debate. In a real foreign policy situation, there is a great deal of thinking that goes behind it,” explains international affairs analyst and President East West Center in Honolulu - Hawaii, Dr. Charles Morrison. “It really makes a little difference for the Pakistan who the president actually is. Both the presidential candidates are likely to be cautious what they do. Pakistan obviously is a country important to US, and US needs to try to have as good relations as they can.” While the US presidential candidates marked their foreign policy concerns, the US military have already initiated a review of the US military strategy on Afghanistan. Increase in attacks by US drones and jet fighters against Taliban and Al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan is a part of proposed radical shift in its regional counterterrorism strategy. The New York Times reported on September 11, 2008 that President Bush secretly approved orders in July that for the first time to allow American Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without the prior approval of the Pakistani government. The North West region of Pakistan is rapidly becoming the new front in the US war on terror. War on terrorism has cost Pakistan more than any other US ally on terrorism. Internal security situation has constantly deteriorating with massive suicide attacks happening everywhere in the country. Blaming Pakistan for not willing to act and a possibility of unilateral military operation can put Pakistan in a more critical situation, which is already facing an economic crisis. Dr. Morrison believes that United States has been important supporter of Pakistan, and Pakistan’s economic development. “Even if the US is trying to address its own economic problems, US should not forget Pakistan’s economic crisis. Because the political situation in Pakistan is very delicate right now,” explains Dr. Morison. Indian ambitions in Afghanistan are acquiring a special importance with the Indo-US strategic partnership sealed by the formal signature of a civilian nuclear agreement the two countries. US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Mike Mullen was reported in October 2008 as saying that there is a need to review the US strategy on Afghanistan and broaden its scope to include India, as it has like Pakistan, long historic links to Afghanistan and an important role to play there. This can prove a concern for Pakistan. However, the most important concern for Pakistan right now is the policy framework that the next US president opts for the region. Statements made during electoral battles are indicative of preferences but not necessarily policy decisions for the future.     [40] Comments               Post Your Commets   U.S. Elections 2008 White House hopefuls John McCain and Barack Obama clashed once again on combating terrorism on the Pak-Afghan border in their second of three debates. Democrat Obama, replying to a question from an audience, said, “If we have Osama bin Laden in our sights and the Pakistani government is unable or unwilling to take them out, then I think that we have to act and we will take them out.” “We will kill bin Laden,” vowed the Illinois senator. “We will crush Al-Qaeda, that has to be our biggest national security priority.” In response, his Republican rival McCain said Obama had “announced that he will attack Pakistan.” Quoting early 20th Century US president Theodore Roosevelt, McCain said the commander-in-chief should “talk softly, but carry a big stick.” “Senator Obama likes to talk aloud,” said McCain, arguing Obama’s strategy would gain no allies in Pakistan. A cross border attack would instead rally Pakistani public opinion against the United States, he said. “We need to get them to work with us and turn against the Taliban and others.” In response, Obama noted that McCain had once sang a ditty at a campaign meeting with the words “bomb, bomb, bomb Iran” and charged that the Republican had also “called for the annihilation of North Korea.” “That is not an example of speaking softly,” said Obama. “We have a difficult situation in Pakistan. I believe that part of the reason we have a difficult situation is because we made a bad judgment going into Iraq in the first place when we hadn’t finished the job of hunting down bin Laden and crushing al-Qaeda. “So what happened was we got distracted, we diverted resources, and ultimately bin Laden escaped.” He said the terrorists were now raiding American troops in Afghanistan and were stronger now than at any time since 2001. “And that’s why I think it’s so important for us to reverse course, because that’s the central front on terrorism. They are plotting to kill Americans right now. As Robert Gates, the defence secretary, said, the war against terrorism began in that region and that’s where it will end.” He argued “part of the reason it’s so important for us to end the war in Iraq is to be able to get more troops into Afghanistan. “But I do believe that we have to change our policies with Pakistan. We can’t coddle, as we did, a dictator, give him billions of dollars and then he’s making peace treaties with the Taliban and militants. What I’ve said is we’re going to encourage democracy in Pakistan, expand our non-military aid to Pakistan so that they have more of a stake in working with us, but insisting that they go after these militants.” We would welcome your comments or opinion about U.S. Presidential Elections 2008. What impact will this election have on global politics? Do you think that ongoing war on terror could decide the future course of U.S. foreign policy? The US is presently squeezed by a grim economic crisis, will it affect Presidential polls? Is it Obama v. McCain war and who is going to win the election?     [43] Comments               Post Your Commets   In-camera joint sitting of Parliament An in-camera joint sitting of both houses of the parliament was held at National Assembly hall to discuss the current security situation in the country and to devise a consensus strategy to counter the scourge of terrorism. President Asif Zardari, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister called the session. Heads of army, security and law enforcing agencies briefed the parliamentarians about the prevailing security, law and order situation and rise in suicide attacks over the past 12 months. The army and security agencies representatives took into confidence the public representatives on the measures to be taken to counter these threats in the greater national interest. Leaders of all the political parties attended the meeting to chalk out the strategy, which could address emerging threats facing Pakistan. We would like to have your viewpoint on this important issue - your representatives have a great responsibility on their shoulders. What steps should be taken, at the moment, to address present crises and what should the government do in order to gear the country toward socio-economic progress?     [36] Comments               Post Your Commets   Eid-ul-Fitr Mubarak Eid-ul-Fitr is the most important festival in the Islamic calendar. This festival is the culminating point of the Holy month of Ramazan, during which Quran-ul-Hakeem and Laila-tul-Qadr (Night of Grandeur) were gifted to the Muslim Ummah. While fasting teaches us self-discipline and provides us moral and spiritual blessings, Eid-ul-Fitr marks the end of the fasting and brings the message of collective merry-making as well as sharing our good fortune with the less fortunate in our fraternity. On this very auspices occasion, we invite you to share your Eid greetings with your loved ones and friends by sending us your Eid messages.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   President Zardari’s visit to the United States President Asif Ali Zardari held his maiden meeting with the US President George W. Bush at New York in a highly cordial environment, when the US President said that Pakistan was a long-standing US ally and the US respect Pakistan’s sovereignty. The discussions covered a wide range of issues including war against terrorism, economic cooperation besides other bilateral and global matters of mutual interests and establishing a good rapport in their first ever talks. President Bush condoling with President Asif Ali Zardari on the martyrdom of Benazir Bhutto also expressed his grief on the killings in Marriott Hotel incident. “Pakistan is our key-ally in war against terrorism and our friendship is enduring. US respect Pakistan’s sovereignty,” President Bush further reaffirmed. President Asif Ali Zardari appreciating the world community’s help for democracy said, “We are thankful to them. Our problems are highly critical, but we will solve them”, he vowed. Your comments on the parleys of these two leaders are welcome - also let us know about future of Pak-US relations.     [24] Comments               Post Your Commets   Islamabad horrific suicide bombing Pakistan mourns its history’s worst-ever horrendous suicide bombing deep inside the highly protected Blue Area of its citadel of power, the federal capital, Islamabad. The suicide bomber skillfully timing the deadliest attack chose just after the Iftar time, when he rammed a truck laden with hundreds of kilograms of high-quality explosives into the entrance of the Hotel Marriott, turning the last Iftari of the faithful at the hotel into a nightmare, as the blast rocking entire Islamabad completely devastated the six-storey hotel, leaving over 50 dead and 257 persons injured besides scores of vehicles charred and buildings in the vicinity of two kilometers damaged. The analysts with one voice declared that the perpetrators of such dastardly acts taking innocent lives in the holy month of Ramazan could never be called Muslim. Do you think that by making foolproof security arrangements, this suicide attack could have been averted? How true is the official claim of this suicide bombing not the result of any security lapse? What are the motives behind these suicide attacks? What in your opinion basically triggers these suicides attacks? What immediate actions the government should take for combating suicide bombings? Let us know your valuable views, please.     [24] Comments               Post Your Commets   Conspiracies against Pakistan Pakistan is passing through one of the most crucial periods of its 61-year history. The situation in NWFP and tribal areas is apparently going out of control with each passing day. Following is a piece by Mr. Ahmad Qureshi on this situation and he has given his point of view and analysis. We invite write-ups and comments on this subject from experts on the subject and the people who have an opinion on this crisis situation and how they see the available options for Pakistan. Write-ups should be concise and thought provoking. Land of conspiracies By Ahmed Quraishi In a recent email exchange, one of the ideological founders of the country's largest left-oriented parties said that he believed that the "core strategic objective of the US" was to "establish its control over the Pakistan Army – to weaken it when it is strong and strengthen it when it is weak but maintain total control over it." He went on to say that the only long-term potent weapon that the Pakistan Army has is "the support of the people of Pakistan". The support General Kayani received from the people on the few words he said about not allowing foreigners to violate the territory of Pakistan is extremely significant." This is where the defeatist stance of Pakistan's elected government on US belligerence becomes inexplicable. Gen Kayani does not need votes. Those who do need them are wasting a perfect opportunity to earn more of them. That is why Prime Minister Gilani's statement saying 'Pakistan can't wage war with US' comes as a shock. Even if true, why would the prime minister say this because it only serves to deprive Pakistan of the strategic psychological impact created by the army chief's warning. America has been a duplicitous ally during the past seven years, using Pakistani cooperation on Afghanistan to gradually turn that country into a military base to launch a sophisticated psychological, intelligence and military campaign to destabilize Pakistan itself. In one sign of the grand double game, despite poor relations with Iran, Washington has encouraged Karzai and the Indians to complete the construction of a road that links Afghanistan to an Indian-built Iranian seaport. The purpose is to end the dependence of both the US army and the Karzai regime on Pakistan. The recent demonization of Pakistani intelligence agencies is a pretext. Apologists for the US position need to understand that Pakistan has a legitimate right to protect it interests in the region. Everyone does. The problem is not our intelligence agencies. It is how Washington deliberately trampled on the legitimate interests of its ally in favour of strengthening the position of our competitors. Maybe, had the Americans been as considerate to us as we have been to them, our spies wouldn't have needed to re-establish contacts with the militants. If we are doing this, it is protect our interest. Pessimists fear that if our military tries to block US border violations, there is a possibility of armed conflict. Also, in case of conflict, Washington is expected to signal to India to open a front in the east to divert Pakistani military resources. But Pakistan is not without options. In fact, the Pakistani position is stronger than what it appears to be. Islamabad can activate old contacts with a resurgent and rising Afghan Taliban inside Afghanistan. The entire Pakistani tribal belt will seize this opportunity to fight the Americans. There is a possibility that Pakistani tribesmen could cross the border in large numbers using secret routes to dodge aerial bombardment and join the Afghan Taliban and find their way to Kabul. The misguided and suspicious 'Pakistani Taliban' – whom the NWFP governor has described on Sept 12 as an extension of the US military in Afghanistan – will also come under pressure of the tribesmen and will be forced to target the occupation forces instead of fighting the Pakistani government and people. But the situation between Islamabad and Washington does not have to come to this. Islamabad can help tip the scales in Washington against the hawks who want a war with Pakistan. Not all parts of the US government accept this idea and this must be exploited. Pakistan must make it clear that it will retaliate. US military posturing aside, Washington has recently seen a string of diplomatic defeats. Russia has cut American meddling in Georgia to size. In Iraq, a coalition of Shia parties is forcing the Americans to set a timetable for departure. And both Bolivia and Venezuela have expelled US ambassadors, and, in Bolivia's case, the world has suddenly become alert to Washington's intrusive meddling in that country's domestic politics and the role of the US ambassador in fuelling separatism. This is not very different from the US role inside Pakistan, where American diplomats have caused political chaos by directly engaging the politicians. The only way to entrap Pakistan now is to either orchestrate a spectacular terrorist attack on the mainland US and blame it on Pakistan, or to assassinate a high profile personality inside Pakistan and generate enough domestic strife to scuttle military resistance to US attacks. It's called realpolitik.     [129] Comments               Post Your Commets   U.S. to include Pakistan in Afghanistan strategy The U.S. military, faced with rising insurgent violence in Afghanistan, will revise its strategy for region to include militant safe havens in neighboring Pakistan, the top U.S. military officer said on Wednesday. "I'm not convinced we are winning it in Afghanistan. I am convinced we can," Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said at a congressional hearing. He said he was "looking at a new, more comprehensive strategy for the region" that would cover both sides of the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. "In my view, these two nations are inextricably linked in a common insurgency that crosses the border between them," he said. Mullen was speaking after the United States stepped up attacks on militant targets inside Pakistan, including a raid by helicopter-borne U.S. commandos last week. Responding to Mullen’s statement, the Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani has said that Pakistan’s borders will be safeguarded at all cost. General Kayani has said that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country will be defended at all cost and no external force is allowed to conduct operations inside Pakistan. America is daily deepening the well of resentment against itself that no amount of aid input or pious diplomatic platitudes will ever fill, what could be the far-reaching implications of mounting tensions on Pak-Afghan borders? What would be the future of Pak-US bilateral ties? We would welcome your comments on this important issue!     [30] Comments               Post Your Commets   Asif Ali Zardari elected new President of Pakistan Pakistan People’s Party co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari was elected as new president of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on Saturday. Asif Ali Zardari is Pakistan's 11th President since 1956, when the country became a republic, excluding acting presidents. The contest was between Asif Ali Zardari of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Justice (Retd.) Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) and Mushahid Hussain Sayed of Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q). We would like to know, what steps in your opinion, should be taken by the new President to bring socio-economic and political stability in Pakistan? What political developments could take place and what would be the challenges facing the President elect? Your suggestions, comments are welcome!     [25] Comments               Post Your Commets   Who will be the next President of Pakistan? The Presidential race is heating up in Pakistan after the resignation of General ® Pervez Musharraf. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari will be competing with former Chief Justice Saeed-uz-Zaman Siddiqui from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Mushahid Hussain from Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q). The presidential election is scheduled on September 6. The Electoral College for the presidential election includes the four provincial assemblies, National Assembly and the Senate. Who will be the next President of Pakistan? We welcome your comments and suggestions, also let us know what steps should be taken by new President to steer Pakistan out of present crises.     [21] Comments               Post Your Commets   Government announces Ramzan Relief Package! Government has announced that a subsidy of Rs. 1.70 billion will be provided to people under the Ramazan Package. Giving details of the package, Federal Minister for Finance, Naveed Qamar has said that package will provide subsidized commodities at Utility Stores across the country. Effective from September 1, about 1300 items will be sold at a discount ranging between 5 to 10 percent. In addition to these, the government will be providing special relief on basic commodities such as flour and ghee, which will be sold at Rs 15 and Rs 110 per kilogram. Qamar said Utility Stores would remain open with extended hours throughout the month, including holidays. He also said that government has come up with targeted consumer monitoring measures to check hoarding and any potential misuse of the package during the holy month. Don’t you think that government should provide subsidy on more essential items? Will the government be able to take effective measures to control rising prices of essential items in the wake of approaching month of Ramzan? We welcome your comments and suggestions!     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   Back to the dark ages: is burial alive of five women a tribal tradition? In insurgency-plagued Balochistan province of Pakistan, some people are compelled to live like animals even in the 21st century as instead of law of the land brutal punishments are still in vogue in some tribes. A recent incident of burial alive of five women has shocked every Pakistani. A nationalist senator from Balochistan, Mir Israrullah Zehri, stunned the Senate by defending the burial alive of five women in Balochistan terming it an act within Baloch tribal traditions and advised the House not to exaggerate the issue, which triggered a protest by the opposition members. Even Senator Jamal Khan Leghari, while lodging strong protest against the remarks, said that he was also a Baloch but would not hide the brutal act of violence against women in the name of Baloch traditions. The issue started when Senator Yasmeen Bibi raised the issue of live burial of five women in Balochistan in the name of honor. She said the only fault of those innocent women was that they had married according to their choice, which is allowed in Islam. She protested the ‘silence of the government’ on this issue, saying, how anyone could remain silent on this barbaric act. Objecting to observation made by Senator Yasmeen Bibi, Senator Mir Israrullah Zehri of the BNP-A remarked that the Baloch tribe did this action according to tribal traditions. These remarks triggered a protest by the opposition senators. Senator Jamal Khan Leghari said: “I am also a Baloch but would not link the Baloch traditions to such kind of act against humanity. No Baloch can dare to even think of taking such action.” However, Acting Chairman Jan Muhammad Jamali remarked that the incident occurred in his neighboring tribe and people did not know about Baloch tribal traditions. Opposition Leader Kamil Ali Agha also protested these remarks, saying that such kind of barbaric incidents portray very negative impression about the country. He demanded referring this issue to the Senate Committee on Human Rights. Though Leader of the House Raza Rabbani did not object to referring the issue to the concerned committee, he asked for time till Monday for the report from Balochistan government on the issue. Don’t you think that such gory crimes against humanity would tarnish Pakistan’s image globally? Should the acting Chairman Senate have passed such remarks? We would like to have your say.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   PML-N parts ways with ruling coalition Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief Nawaz Sharif has formally announced to part ways with the ruling coalition led by Pakistan Peoples Party and named Justice (R) Saeeduzzaman Siddiqui as presidential candidate of the party. “After thorough deliberations and keeping all the recent developments into view the party PML-N has decided to split with the ruling coalition,” PML-N Chief announced after expressing his frustration on the way “PPP disillusioned” him and his party mainly on the judges issue. PML-N Chief also showed the copy of the agreement made with the PPP outlining the steps regarding the impeachment of the president and restoration of the judges. He said while in exile he and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had many meetings outside the country and agreed on establishing democracy and putting an end to dictatorship in Pakistan. He said a number of agreements were made on various matters between PML-N and PPP, which were later given a name of Charter of Democracy. He said under the agreement reached between PPP and PML-N, the judges were to be restored after impeachment or resignation of former president Pervez Musharraf. But judges have not yet been reinstated even after the lapse of one week since the resignation of President Musharraf on August 18. Sharif said PML-N wanted the government to address problems like price-hike and unemployment. He said PML-N would continue to fight dictatorship. Pakistan has again reached the crossroads, your opinion does matter for us and we would like to have your say. What political developments could take place? Will judges be restored and who is going to be the President of Pakistan? Let us know of your opinion – comments     [25] Comments               Post Your Commets   Musharraf resigns; for nation and country President Pervez Musharraf announced in a televised address to the nation Monday that he had decided to resign after nine years in power to avoid the threat of impeachment. "After viewing the situation and consulting legal advisers and political allies, with their advice I have decided to resign," a grim-faced Musharraf said, backed by Pakistani flags and a portrait of the country's founder. Musharraf made the shock announcement after denying that any of the impeachment charges against him could stand and launching into a lengthy defence of his time in power. "On the map of the world, Pakistan is now an important country, by the grace of Allah," he said. The President said he took all decisions with consultation, took all stakeholders onboard, on the most difficult decisions. President Musharraf defended the performance in all areas of governance during his tenure; particularly the economy, empowerment of people, achievements in health, education and social sectors, besides the war on terror. He said eight months back the GDP was growing at a rate of 7 per cent and had touched 180 billion, with 17 billion US dollars in foreign exchange reserves. The revenue collection was Rs 1000 billion. He said the Stock Exchange Index was 16,000 and the exchange rate hovered around Rs 60 for the past eight years - all these were the indicators of a robust economy, the President added. The President said in the past nine years all areas were addressed and measures were taken to improve their working. He said in the aftermath of the Oct 8 earthquake over 80 countries participated in the Donor’s Conference and instead of the need for US 5 billion dollars, the community pledged US 6.5 billion, reflecting its stature. As regards Indo-Pak ties, Musharraf said that in 2001, both countries neared a confrontation mood and then the incident of 9/11 took place that transformed the world and its politics. He said that Pakistan had to face many challenges during his tenure but all of these were adequately addressed and the country was steered out of these crises. Pakistan has again reached the crossroads, your opinion does matter for us and we would like to have your say. What political developments could take place in post-Musharraf period? Will there be any economic turnaround and now what will be the fate of deposed judiciary? Let us know of your opinion – comments     [22] Comments               Post Your Commets   Ruling coalition to impeach President Musharraf President Pervez Musharraf will have to face impeachment under Article 47 of the Constitution if he fails to take vote of confidence from the assemblies immediately. This was announced by Co-chairman Pakistan People’s Party, Asif Ali Zardari at a joint press conference with Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief, Nawaz Sharif, at Zardari House. The announcement came after two-days of marathon meetings held by the ruling coalition. “The President promised to take vote of confidence from the elected assembly but he failed to do so,” Asif Zardari said reading a statement. “He also failed to address the a session of the Parliament,” he added. “The President weakened the Federation and eroded the trust of the nation.” He said the coalition has resolved that the President sacked the top judiciary through “extra-judicial means.” The policies pursued by the President Musharraf led government are responsible for the “economic impasse, worst power shortage in the history,” he said. “It has now become imperative to impeach President Pervez Musharraf under Article 47,” Asif Zardari said. The President had said he would step down if his party faces defeat in the general elections, he said. The people gave their mandate to the democratic forces, he added. Asif Zardari said the judges will be restored to November 3 position following impeachment of the President. PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif endorsed the announcements made by the PPP Co-chairman, saying his party agrees with the statement read out by Asif Zardari. Awami National Party’s Senator, Haji Adeel also gave his consent to the joint declaration. “The nation will not accept 58-2(b),” Nawaz Sharif said. The democracy is not so weak that it would allow usage of 58-2(b), he added. What steps can President Musharraf take in case of impeachment? Will it be possible for the government to restore deposed judges? Under the present circumstances is it possible for President Musharraf to use Article 58-2(b) of the Constitution to dissolve the assemblies? Can the joint declaration of coalition government be termed as a significant move towards democracy? Please, let us know of your opinion.     [20] Comments               Post Your Commets   Is Pakistan’s contingent strong enough to take part in Olympics? Pakistan has sent a contingent of 21 players plus 14 officials to Beijing for participating in the Olympic Games 2008. These 21 players include a 16-man hockey squad, three athletes and two swimmers. Is this number of players enough for a country which has been taking part in the Olympic Games since 1948? Your comments please.     [3] Comments               Post Your Commets   Judges restoration or civil disobedience movement? Pakistan Bar Council has announced August 14 deadline for the government to reinstate the deposed judges, failing which a movement of civil disobedience will be launched from August 15. In a declaration of All Pakistan Lawyers Convention held here on Saturday, it was demanded of the government to restore the deposed judges by the above deadline or else a campaign would be launched considering the coalition government as supporters of PCO judges. President Lahore Bar Association, Anwar Kamal addressing a joint press conference with Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan and Hamid Khan, said the lawyers convention has not only rejected the November 3, 2007 steps but also the proposed constitutional package. Expressing concerns on the surge in militancy in FATA and tribal areas, the convention held responsible the failure to restore the judges for the prevailing economic crisis in the country. Let us know your opinion     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Prime Minister’s address to the Nation In his first address to the nation since taking office as Prime Minister, Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has reiterated that foreign troops will not be allowed to operate within Pakistan's borders. He also pledged that his government would steer the country out of the numerous domestic and international challenges facing it. His speech was full of details of how the PPP is going to take on the numerous problems plaguing the country, including inflation, terrorism and the electricity crisis. Detailing his economic battle plan, the PM announced loans worth 30 billion rupees for farmers, and a substantial increase in subsidies for the agricultural sector. He also promised to halve load shedding by next year, with the help of short-term power-generation plans. On the security situation within the country, the PM said Pakistan was itself a victim of the terrorism, but promised that foreign troops will not be allowed to operate within its borders. The Prime Minister said under Benazir Income Support Programme, targeted support of Rs 1,000 each will be provided to the poor families to help them overcome poverty and inflation. He said initially, 3.4 million families would benefit from the scheme, which would be expanded later. For this scheme, he added, special Benazir Cards will be issued and the scheme will be formally launched on August 14. The pressure is now on the government to back up its talk with results. Your comments are welcome – let us know your opinion about Prime Minister’s address.     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pakistan atomic program is getting controversial? Dr. Abdul Qadeer Khan has said centrifuges were sent to North Korea in 2000. Dr. Khan said, “Any question regarding this should be put to President Musharraf and demanded to form a national commission to investigate the allegations leveled against him.” He made these remarks in a meeting with his lawyer Barrister Javed Iqbal Jaffery who called on him at his residence. Dr. A.Q. Khan said he has been kept under illegal detention. He further said he was given a pre-written statement and asked to read it out on television with an assurance that this would correct everything. “However, no such thing happened and now I will not stay silent anymore.” The nuclear scientist termed the statement of Director General, Strategic Plans Division a bundle of lies. “I did not reveal anything new but repeated all that was written in president Musharraf’s own book.” Dr. Qadeer said he was not well and would not talk to media anymore. Question is: Whose statement is true and whose false? Being a highly sensitive issue as it is, don’t you think discussing this issue would have implications on the country’s politics as well as its relations with outside world? Is the atomic programme becoming controversial? We will appreciate your opinion.     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Karachi hit by series of blasts The scourge of terrorism claimed 18 lives in Islamabad in the form of a suicide attack on Sunday, and now Karachi, the economic lifeline of Pakistan, has again witnessed a series of bomb blasts in which an innocent citizen was killed and many got injured. These blasts seem a conspiracy to destroy the peace of Karachi - The nation needs unity to foil any conspiracy against our beloved homeland. In your opinion, how can we, as a nation, foil the conspiracy to disturb peace and harmony in Karachi? We would welcome your comments     [1] Comments               Post Your Commets   Price of petroleum products increased in Pakistan The prices of petroleum products – Petrol, HOBC, CNG and Light Diesel – have once again been increased in Pakistan. The price of petrol has been enhanced to Rs. 75.69, Diesel Rs. 55.15 and Kerosene Oil to Rs. 49.73, while consumers will have to pay additional Rs. 13 for CNG. The increased prices could have adverse impact on national economy and affect not only common man but traders and transporters also. If prices of petroleum products continue to surge, the era, when horse carriages and carts were used, could come back. We would like to have your say; will current oil price-hike have any adverse impacts on prices of basic food items? We would like to hear from you on this vital issue.     [0] Comments               Post Your Commets   Nawaz Sharif disqualified to contest by-polls Lahore High Court (LHC) has disqualified Pakistan Muslim League-N leader Nawaz Sharif from contesting by-election while allowed Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to remain in the office. Workers of PML-N held a demonstration outside LHC to record their protest against the disqualification of Mian Nawaz Sharif. PPP leader Farhatullah Babar also expressed sadness over the decision. Mixed reaction was witnessed from various political parties on the verdict. We would like to have your say, Do you term the verdict political? How should PML-N react to the decision? Is the verdict aimed at creating rift between two major political parties? Is Nawaz Sharif political future in danger? Will the decision have any affect on judges’ restoration? Will it help to develop the democracy? What is your opinion on current situation?     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   Is the new budget people-friendly? Federal Minister for Finance & Privatization Naveed Qamar has presented Federal Budget 2008-09. Some new taxes have been imposed while a few abolished, keeping in view economic and industrial development of the country. Needs of people in terms of spiraling prices of food items have been kept in view. Salaries of government employees have been raised by 20 percent while the minimum wage has been increased to Rs6,000 from Rs4,600. There will be a ban on government office purchasing luxury items. Minimum taxable salary limit has been raised to Rs 180,000. Benazir Cards proposed to be issued to help the poor. Deserving families to be provided food supplies through National Identity Cards. Basic needs of the people to be kept in view. Employment of women to get special attention; government will extend full cooperation for their welfare and development. Are you satisfied with the budget proposals? Does this budget qualify to be called people-friendly? To what extent the Benazir cards will provide relief to the poor? Is the raise proposed in the salaries of government employees enough?     [4] Comments               Post Your Commets   Power saving strategy announced The federal cabinet has decided that all major commercial centres and shopping plazas would be closed at 9 pm from June 1 to the end of August to help overcome the problem of load-shedding. The cabinet also revived the policy to advance the watches by one hour for three months from June 1 to take advantage of the daylight. The industrial units were being asked to stagger their weekly holidays while shops would be encouraged to have weekly holiday on Friday instead of Sunday. The cabinet also decided that air conditioners in all the government offices would remain off from 8.00 am to 11.00 am. Wapda would not provide electricity for neon signs. Do you think these steps would help in saving the electricity? How these power saving steps would affect business and trade activities? Write your comments.     [13] Comments               Post Your Commets   PML-N quits federal cabinet The Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) on Monday decided to quit the federal cabinet as the coalition government failed to meet the deadline of May 12 set for the restoration of the deposed judges, PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif announced in a press conference in Islamabad. He said his party was quitting the government after failure of talks in London. How this decision would affect the political scene in the country? Will the ruling coalition remain intact? How the major partner of the coalition, the PPP, would react? How the lawyers will response to the changing political situation? What are your comments?     [12] Comments               Post Your Commets   Whether judges restoration possible by April 30? Pakistan Muslim League-N leader and central vice-president, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi has said that if the judges were not restored by May 1, then we would not let the system derail and give up the ministries, while the federal law minister revealed that the recommendations prepared have been sent to Asif Ali Zardari and Mian Nawaz Sharif and decisions would be taken in accordance with the constitution and law, while the resolution on judges’ restoration could not be presented in the national assembly session. · Will the restoration of judges be possible by April 30? · Will the Murree Declaration be implemented in its spirit? · If judges were not restored, what would be its impact on country’s politics?     [9] Comments               Post Your Commets   Perks of Sindh Police raised Sindh Home Minister Dr Zulfiqar Ali Mirza has announced a raise in the salaries and perks of the Sindh police. He also said that 10,000 policemen would be recruited in due course of time to end the current manpower crisis in the force. He said that bringing peace in Sindh, especially in Karachi and Hyderabad, was his duty. Mirza announced an increase in the salaries and other facilities of the Sindh police to bring them at par with the Punjab police. He also announced a reduction in the duty hours of policemen from 16 to 12 hours. He said that, after making new recruitments, the duty hours would be reduced further to eight hours a day. He also announced that the compensation amount for the heirs of a martyred policeman would be raised to Rs500,000. He said that, at present, police personnel worked seven days a week, and announced a weekly off day for the police department. Will the announcement of perks and raise in salaries improve the performance of police and curb corruption in the department? Will the steps help to establish the writ of law in the province?     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Angry mob thrashes Sher Afgan In a horrific incident, former federal minister Dr Sher Afgan Niazi was beaten up by a charged crowd of lawyers in Lahore. Dr Sher Afgan had come to see his lawyer in his office was confined four hours at the place. He ended late in the night his confinement when he was finally made to come out in the presence of the Supreme Court Bar Association President Aitzaz Ahsan and other bar leaders. But the angry lawyers pounded on him and manhandled him. After the incident Aitzaz Ahsan has warned to quit the SCBA office. Is it a conspiracy to sabotage the lawyers’ movement for free judiciary? What could be the hidden motives behind the ugly incident? How the incident will affect the lawyers’ movement? What is your opinion?     [47] Comments               Post Your Commets   Deplorable incident in Sindh Assembly Former chief minister Sindh and PML (Q) leader Arbab Ghulam Rahim was manhandled and assaulted by some angry persons at Sindh Assembly building during the assembly session. The angry mob chanted slogans and caused disturbance during the Assembly proceedings. Such incidents destroy the sanctity of the august house. Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) members and others condemning the incident, announced to boycott the session of the Sindh Assembly for an indefinite period. Do you think such incidents negate the democratic values? Can the democratic system be flourished in this way? Is this incident a part of any planned conspiracy? What are your comments in this regard?     [21] Comments               Post Your Commets   Pak-Afghan border region on US target!!! CIA director Michael Hayden has said the situation in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, presents a "clear and present danger" to the West. CIA director said that al-Qaeda has been able for the past 18 months or so to establish a safe haven along the Afghan-Pakistan border area, and they're bringing in operatives into the region for training to attack the West. Hayden added that those operatives wouldn't attract attention if they were going through the customs line at American airports and can enter in the United States easily as they look Western. Is this CIA statement a warning bell for Pakistan? Is the US seeking excuse to target Pakistan border region? Will any action in the pretext of US interest fan the flames of terrorism in the region? What do you think?     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   Prime Minister’s Revolutionary Priorities Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani after unanimous vote of confidence from the National Assembly has announced priorities of his government in a policy address. In his landmark speech the prime minister increased the support price of wheat from Rs. 510 to 625 per 40 kilograms. He announced lifting of ban on student and trade unions, vowed to strengthen the institutions and to improve law and order in the country. He also promised to increase minimum monthly wages of workers to Rs. 6000. He said he would announce a special package for tribal areas to give them employment and to remove their backwardness and other social evils.The Prime Minister also announced to revoke FCR. He said to overcome the electricity shortage in the country, which at present stands at 3000 megawatt, new power units will be set up and PEPCO has been asked to issue 10 million energy saver bulbs at discounted prices. He said the budget of the Prime Minister House will be cut by 40 percent and hoped that other departments too will follow the example. The Prime Minister announced repealing of the draconian Pemra laws of Nov 3, 2007. He urged for elimination of terrorism and maintenance of peace in the country. The PM called the militants to shun the path of violence and initiate the path of dialogue. He said the government would provide jobs to jobless. What you say about the revolutionary announcements of the prime minister?     [10] Comments               Post Your Commets   “Welcome……Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani” People’s Party candidate Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has been elected the new prime minister of Pakistan with 2/3 majority. Gillani bagged 264 votes, while 42 members of the house voted to the rival candidate Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi. Do you think the new PM would cope the challenges faced by the country? Will he fulfill the promises about the fundamental rights of the people, restoration of judges and the media freedom? What do you expect from the new PM? Write to us.     [36] Comments               Post Your Commets   Yousuf Raza Gillani’s Nomination as Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gillani has been nominated for prime ministerial post by Pakistan People’s Party and the coalition partners. What impact his nomination will have on the political landscape of the country? Will the new government, led by the nominated PM, be successful in overcoming the challenges being faced by the country? Will the new government live up to the expectations of the people?     [16] Comments               Post Your Commets   Muttahida’s candidate quits prime minister’s race The leader of Muttahida Qaumi Movement Dr. Farooque Sattar has quit the prime minister’s race and MQM has announced unconditional support for the People’s Party candidate. Talking to newsmen along with Muslim League (Q) leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain Farooque Sattar said that he was withdrawing as PM candidate of the joint opposition after mutual consultation. He said that his party would support the People’s Party candidate but if Muslim League (N) nominates its candidate they would not vote and would remain neutral. Farooque Sattar said Muslim League (Q) is free to nominate its candidate for the prime minister’s office. He said the decision has been made in greater national interest after mutual consultation. How the MQM decision will affect the political scene in the country especially in Sindh? Will the decision help to create harmony in the rural, urban divide in the province?     [5] Comments               Post Your Commets   First Woman NA Speaker Dr. Fehmida Mirza of Pakistan People’s Party has been elected the first woman speaker of the National Assembly with 249 votes. Do you think the election of a woman, as speaker of National Assembly would project soft image of Pakistan in the world? Will she conduct the house proceedings in a more effective manner than the previous speakers?     [17] Comments               Post Your Commets   13th NA takes oath The 13th National Assembly of Pakistan’s history has sworn in with outgoing Speaker Chaudhry Ameer Hussain in chair. The house observed one-minute silence to pay respects to assassinated former prime minister Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto. Syed Naveed Qamar before oath taking said that the members of PPP and allied parties would take oath under the un-amended unanimously passed constitution of 1973. The 328 elected members attended the inaugural session of the hose including 60 percent new faces, as 192 of them have become the members of assembly for the first time. Co-chairman Pakistan People’s Party Asif Ali Zardari, Muslim League (N) Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif witnessed the house proceedings from the guests’ gallery. Do you think the NA session is a step forward towards democracy? Who will be the new prime minister? Will the coalition sustain and bear the difference of opinions to provide fruits of democracy to the people? Will the NA survive to complete its five years’ tenure; what do you say?     [16] Comments               Post Your Commets   People’s Party, PML-N Accord Pakistan People’s Party and Pakistan Muslim League (N) have signed a summit declaration for the formation of a coalition government and restoration of the sacked judges through parliament resolution within 30 days of the new government. PML-N would support the PPP candidate for the premier office. The offices of speaker and deputy speaker of the National Assembly will be awarded to PPP and the speaker and deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly will be elected from PML-N. The declaration vows that the coalition parties would form governments with unity and mutual agreement. It also demands immediate requisition of the sessions of national and provincial assemblies. It also declares to extend much needed relief to the countrymen and to face the menaces of terrorism and price hike with people’s mandate. The Murree declaration also promises that the new government’s first decision will be about the PEMRA ordinance. How you view the PPP-PML-N summit declaration?     [29] Comments               Post Your Commets   New government and challenges: The new government have to face law and order, suicide attacks, price hike and other challenges in the country. How the government will tackle these problems? The masses, government institutions, economy and general social problems need the govt. attention to seek solutions. Do you think the new political setup would successfully resolve the law and order problem especially the suicide attacks and the price hike issue? Will the new government introduce any shift in the foreign policy or pursue the existing one? Will the new political leaders reach to consensus over the judges’ issue? What will be the new government’s strategy about the president? Send your views.     [11] Comments               Post Your Commets   Stunning election results and next government Unofficial results of the general elections held under the caretaker government have come to the fore, following completion of the February 18, 2008 election process. Unexpected results have stunned every one. The members of the Muslim League-Q former government mostly stand defeated and several major upsets were seen. People’s Party and Muslim League-N in Punjab, MQM and People’s Party in Sindh, while the Awami National Party