Sunday, November 11, 2012
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Kashmiri Journalist Arrested for Exposing Felling of Historic Trees
NEELUM VALLEY, Jammu and Kashmir, July 27, 2012 (ENS) - A journalist has been arrested by police and is being detained after the publication of photos he took of historic trees chopped down by government officials.
Elderly eyewitnesses say the trees that were cut down were 54 years old. They were planted by the hands of prominent personalities of national fame, including the first Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Abdul Hamid Khan.
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One of the trees felled by government workers (Photo by Khawaja Fiaz Hussain) |
The photos show trees that were felled before the July 18 visit of Pakistani Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf to Athmuqam in the Neelum Valley of Pakistan-administered Kashmir.
Khawaja Fiaz Hussain, a correspondent for a leading Urdu daily newspaper and a freelance photojournalist, released a collection of images of the felled trees, both pines and other species.
The images were widely carried by local newspapers and aroused public anger over the logging by the government workers, whom local people describe as being primarily responsible for the protection of forests and environment.
In the Neelum Valley, the forests of pine fir and deodar trees provide habitat for endangered species of wildlife.
The police claim that Hussain was arrested for involvement in the production of forged educational documents.
Detained in a police station in the Neelum Valley, Hussain denied the charges in a phone interview with this correspondent.
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Journalist Khawaja Fiaz Hussain (Photo courtesy Khawaja Fiaz Hussain) |
"Police officers called me into the police station where I was shocked to see that I have been charged for making forged documents for school students," said Hussain.
"Earlier, police requested me to visit them because they said they wanted to question me about some community matters," he said.
Hussain said that some of the government departmental officials "were furious over the coverage of the photos about the felling of these historical trees."
"When I saw government high-ups brutally chopping the trees, I performed my professional duty to highlight this insane act," he said.
Local journalists say that police had already arrested another person on same charge but he was released when police forced him to name the journalist for involvement in the scam.
A broadcaster who also filed footage of the incident to his TV channel describes this logging as illegal and unreasonable.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
US puts $10m bounty on Lashkar-e-Taiba's Hafiz Saeed
US puts $10m bounty on Lashkar-e-Taiba's Hafiz Saeed
The US has offered a $10m (£6.2m) bounty for Hafiz Mohammad Saeed, the founder of Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba [LeT].
Mr Saeed now heads the Jamaat-ud-Dawa group, widely seen as a front for LeT - which is blamed for the 2008 Mumbai attacks in India.
A $2m bounty was also announced on Abdul Rehman Makki, Mr Saeed's brother-in-law and co-founder of Lashkar.
Both Jamaat-ud-Dawa and Lashkar-e-Taiba are blacklisted by the US.
The US announced the award for their capture or information leading to their capture, officials said.
The three-day rampage in November 2008 by 10 gunmen in Mumbai left 165 people dead. Nine of the attackers were also killed.
India blamed the Mumbai attacks on LeT, and India-Pakistan ties hit rock bottom.
The sole
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Top US war commanders meet with Pakistan’s army chief
Top US war commanders meet with Pakistan’s army chief
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - Two US generals met with Pakistan’s army chief on Wednesday in a high-stakes meeting aimed at nudging Islamabad to resume a cooperative relationship with the United States.
It was the first formal discussion among top military commanders since US airstrikes killed 24 Pakistani soldiers at Afghan border outposts in a hotly disputed attack in November.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Osama bin Laden's house demolished in Pakistan
Police, wrecking crews knock down compound that sheltered late al-Qaeda leader
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| Local residents gather outside the house in Pakistan where al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was caught and killed last May. Two residents said Saturday the Pakistani government is demolishing the compound. (B.K.Bangash/Associated Press |
Pakistan onSaturday began demolishing the three-storey compound where Osama bin Laden lived for years and was killed by U.S. commandos last May, eliminating a concrete reminder of the painful and embarrassing chapter in the country's history.
Pakistan was outraged by the covert American raid because it was not told about it beforehand. The country's powerful military faced rare domestic criticism because it was not able to stop U.S. troops from infiltrating the country by helicopter from Afghanistan.
The compound was located next to Pakistan's equivalent of West Point.
Three mechanized backhoes began their demolition of the compound in the northwest city of Abbottabad after sunset on Saturday, said two local residents, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were afraid of being harassed by the government.
Authorities set up floodlights so they could work after dark, said the residents.
Backhoes broke outer walls
The demolition team conducted its work under heavy security. A large team of police set up an outer cordon around the compound to keep spectators away, said an Associated Press reporter who managed to get close enough to see the demolition work under way.
A ring of army soldiers set up an inner cordon and warmed themselves against the winter chill by lighting a bonfire.
The backhoes broke through tall outer boundary walls that ringed a courtyard where one of the U.S. helicopters crashed during the operation to kill the al-Qaeda chief, said the AP reporter. They then began to tear down the compound itself.
A Pakistani intelligence official confirmed that the demolition was in progress but declined to say why the government chose to do it. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Friday, February 17, 2012
Friday, February 10, 2012
MAQBOOL BHAT: MY COMPANION MY LEADER
It was the winter of 1968; I was just 15. Nevertheless conscious that final decision of Jammu and Kashmir State was pending and freedom invariably meant Pakistan. I knew very little about Maqbool Bhat. Then suddenly in December 1968 we found large size posters carrying pictures of Maqbool Bhat, Yasin Sahib and Mir Ahmad displayed on the walls in Srinagar city. The caption said: “dangerous criminals who had fled from the central jail and anybody giving information about their whereabouts would be rewarded with ten thousand rupees.” I pulled down hundreds of these posters in Lal Chowk and its adjoining areas, taxi and bus stands, Dalgate area and its surrounding places and tore these to pieces. This was my first meeting in absentia with Maqbool Bhat.
In 1969, passports were issued to my mother, grandmother, my maternal uncle and my younger brother and sister. In January of that year we crossed over to Pakistan via Ganda Singh, Ferozpore route. I had such fascination for Pakistan that no sooner did I cross the border and landed on Pakistani soil, than I not only bowed my head to show reverence to the land of Pakistan but also kissed the soil. A Pakistani soldier in uniform asked me what did it mean? I said that “Pakistan was no less than Mecca and Medina for us and that is why I kissed the earth.” I did not understand the deeper meaning of his retort at that time. He said,” Khoja go inside and see the Mecca and Medina”.
We headed for Peshawar, our destination. From my maternal uncle I came to know that Maqbool Bhat also happened to be in Peshawar at that time in Qissakhwani Bazaar. I was just thinking of arranging a meeting with him when Maqbool Bhat dropped in the house of my maternal uncle. This was my maiden meeting with him in person. When I recounted to him the story of my tearing the posters in Srinagar, his face lit bright. I never knew that my words would turn the brightness of Maqbool Bhat’s fair face as a beacon of light for me in my future life and that it would change the entire course of my life. He promised to meet us next time and left.
He paid us another visit shortly and took me along with him to Khyber Café in Peshawar Sadder. The café was the hot bed of political discussions in those days. It was also the rendezvous of Wali Khan’s party and Pukhtoon Students Federation. People talked anything from local to international politics. It was in this café that Bhat Sahib had introduced me to many revolutionaries from the Frontier, included among those were Latif Afridi, advocate Sarfarz, Afrasiyab Khatak and many more progressive thinkers of the day. This was also the beginning of Maqbool Bhat’s role as my mentor and teacher.
He was shaping the mind of a 15-year old urchin. With the help of an example he clarified to me the background and the foreground of Kashmir issue. He talked what I would have perceived. He said “Kashmir was a house and its denizens lived in it. But two neighbours had forcibly seized one half each. The occupants had ignored the owner of the house and were fighting each other for grabbing the entire house. Actually both the neighbours should vacate our house and hand it over to us.” Bhat added that “if India and Pakistan fought over Kashmir for centuries they would not succeed in snatching away an inch of Kashmir land. We shall only get mauled in their mutual strife. Even the entire sub-continent will plunge into poverty, destitution, misery and communal strife.”
In my political life of forty-two years, I have never met a person with such deep-rooted sentiment for the freedom and prosperity of his compatriots as Maqbool Bhat. In our fourth or fifth meeting, he took me with him to Rawalpindi. We landed at the residence of late Dr. Farooq Haider. It was my first meeting with Dr. Farooq Haider, his wife Baji Iffat and Javed Sagar, the son of Allah Rakha Sagar. Again it was this place where I met Amanullah Khan for the first time.
I stayed in Pakistan for nearly six months. I had occasion of visiting Muzaffarabad and Muree in the company of Bhat Sahib the Martyr. In Muree I met with Yusuf Sahib and Pervez Mir and many more friends. In Muzaffarabad I met with Yusuf Zargar, Ghulam Mustafa Alavi and Raja Muzaffar and many more. The common denominator of all of them was their immense love for Jammu and Kashmir and its people. Maqbool Bhat had lit a flame in their hearts which one thought would engulf the entire sub-continent. Their hearts were filled with the sprit of patriotism.
Maqbool Bhat’s injection of nationalist sentiment in me was so profound that I forgot that I had yet to complete my studies. I had only competed Matriculation. I had the responsibility of taking care of my parents, maternal uncle and my younger sister and brother. I overlooked all these duties and gave myself up entirely to the ideology inducted by Maqbool Bhat.
He made me the elementary member of National Liberation Front and entrusted to me the organizational duties of Kashmir zone. I was trained to create small cells and the sound of independent Kashmir resounded in my ears for the first time. He armed me with the logic for raising such a cry. At the time of my return he jotted down all organizational details on a piece of paper and hid it in the inner lining of my karakuley cap. I was made to impress my signature on the NLF membership form in my blood. I distinctly remember that one of the stipulations of the membership form was that of non-communal and completely independent as against enslaved and oppressed Kashmir. Anybody qualifying for membership had to imprint his signature and thumb impression in his blood. Those going from Srinagar and other parts of the State to meet with their relatives on the other side of the State were particularly in his focus. He prompted them to infuse the ideology of independent Kashmir in the mind of their relatives. In Azad Kashmir, he would hold corner meetings and in public rallies he used to cite small examples to invoke the spirit of nationalism among his audience asking them to become the masters of their land.
I am talking of the days when Muslim Conference enjoyed predominance in Azad Kashmir and the cliché was that one who did not adhere to Muslim Conference ideology was not a Musulman. Anything outside accession to Pakistan was considered a conspiracy against Pakistan. In these strongly blowing winds, organizations like Plebiscite Front for Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and NLF tried to keep the flame of freedom and self-determination alive.
Maqbool Bhat was gifted with melodious voice and he dressed elegantly. When he spoke, one felt that the soul of all revolutionaries of the world had converged inside him. He had intense love and affection for the poor.
Having lit the flame of freedom in my heart, Maqbool Bhat bade me farewell. I returned to Kashmir. Here I raised small cells each comprising two or three young boys. My difficulty was that my friends looked at me rather askance when I confided to them about independent Kashmir. I wondered why they did not understand the simple thing that this was our house and we are its owners. Today forty-two years later, I find that much human blood has run down the Jhelum and many people know that accession to India or Pakistan is not possible but continue to subscribe to that thinking.
We had produced literature in our handwriting and got it printed at litho press for pasting the copies on the walls of the street in the city. Ashraf Qureshi was good at drawing; he would draw pictures showing a Kashmiri carrying a gun in his hand. Our posters for freedom carried the message of armed struggle on the pattern of struggles in Palestine and Algeria. These posters were in fact the first message for armed struggle in Kashmir for freedom and self determination. The purpose was to inculcate consciousness among the people in Kashmir for independence. This was at a time when Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was at the peak of his influence not allowing any other organization or leadership to raise its head
It was the winter of 1968; I was just 15. Nevertheless conscious that final decision of Jammu and Kashmir State was pending and freedom invariably meant Pakistan. I knew very little about Maqbool Bhat. Then suddenly in December 1968 we found large size posters carrying pictures of Maqbool Bhat, Yasin Sahib and Mir Ahmad displayed on the walls in Srinagar city. The caption said: “dangerous criminals who had fled from the central jail and anybody giving information about their whereabouts would be rewarded with ten thousand rupees.” I pulled down hundreds of these posters in Lal Chowk and its adjoining areas, taxi and bus stands, Dalgate area and its surrounding places and tore these to pieces. This was my first meeting in absentia with Maqbool Bhat.
In 1969, passports were issued to my mother, grandmother, my maternal uncle and my younger brother and sister. In January of that year we crossed over to Pakistan via Ganda Singh, Ferozpore route. I had such fascination for Pakistan that no sooner did I cross the border and landed on Pakistani soil, than I not only bowed my head to show reverence to the land of Pakistan but also kissed the soil. A Pakistani soldier in uniform asked me what did it mean? I said that “Pakistan was no less than Mecca and Medina for us and that is why I kissed the earth.” I did not understand the deeper meaning of his retort at that time. He said,” Khoja go inside and see the Mecca and Medina”.
We headed for Peshawar, our destination. From my maternal uncle I came to know that Maqbool Bhat also happened to be in Peshawar at that time in Qissakhwani Bazaar. I was just thinking of arranging a meeting with him when Maqbool Bhat dropped in the house of my maternal uncle. This was my maiden meeting with him in person. When I recounted to him the story of my tearing the posters in Srinagar, his face lit bright. I never knew that my words would turn the brightness of Maqbool Bhat’s fair face as a beacon of light for me in my future life and that it would change the entire course of my life. He promised to meet us next time and left.
He paid us another visit shortly and took me along with him to Khyber Café in Peshawar Sadder. The café was the hot bed of political discussions in those days. It was also the rendezvous of Wali Khan’s party and Pukhtoon Students Federation. People talked anything from local to international politics. It was in this café that Bhat Sahib had introduced me to many revolutionaries from the Frontier, included among those were Latif Afridi, advocate Sarfarz, Afrasiyab Khatak and many more progressive thinkers of the day. This was also the beginning of Maqbool Bhat’s role as my mentor and teacher.
He was shaping the mind of a 15-year old urchin. With the help of an example he clarified to me the background and the foreground of Kashmir issue. He talked what I would have perceived. He said “Kashmir was a house and its denizens lived in it. But two neighbours had forcibly seized one half each. The occupants had ignored the owner of the house and were fighting each other for grabbing the entire house. Actually both the neighbours should vacate our house and hand it over to us.” Bhat added that “if India and Pakistan fought over Kashmir for centuries they would not succeed in snatching away an inch of Kashmir land. We shall only get mauled in their mutual strife. Even the entire sub-continent will plunge into poverty, destitution, misery and communal strife.”
In my political life of forty-two years, I have never met a person with such deep-rooted sentiment for the freedom and prosperity of his compatriots as Maqbool Bhat. In our fourth or fifth meeting, he took me with him to Rawalpindi. We landed at the residence of late Dr. Farooq Haider. It was my first meeting with Dr. Farooq Haider, his wife Baji Iffat and Javed Sagar, the son of Allah Rakha Sagar. Again it was this place where I met Amanullah Khan for the first time.
I stayed in Pakistan for nearly six months. I had occasion of visiting Muzaffarabad and Muree in the company of Bhat Sahib the Martyr. In Muree I met with Yusuf Sahib and Pervez Mir and many more friends. In Muzaffarabad I met with Yusuf Zargar, Ghulam Mustafa Alavi and Raja Muzaffar and many more. The common denominator of all of them was their immense love for Jammu and Kashmir and its people. Maqbool Bhat had lit a flame in their hearts which one thought would engulf the entire sub-continent. Their hearts were filled with the sprit of patriotism.
Maqbool Bhat’s injection of nationalist sentiment in me was so profound that I forgot that I had yet to complete my studies. I had only competed Matriculation. I had the responsibility of taking care of my parents, maternal uncle and my younger sister and brother. I overlooked all these duties and gave myself up entirely to the ideology inducted by Maqbool Bhat.
He made me the elementary member of National Liberation Front and entrusted to me the organizational duties of Kashmir zone. I was trained to create small cells and the sound of independent Kashmir resounded in my ears for the first time. He armed me with the logic for raising such a cry. At the time of my return he jotted down all organizational details on a piece of paper and hid it in the inner lining of my karakuley cap. I was made to impress my signature on the NLF membership form in my blood. I distinctly remember that one of the stipulations of the membership form was that of non-communal and completely independent as against enslaved and oppressed Kashmir. Anybody qualifying for membership had to imprint his signature and thumb impression in his blood. Those going from Srinagar and other parts of the State to meet with their relatives on the other side of the State were particularly in his focus. He prompted them to infuse the ideology of independent Kashmir in the mind of their relatives. In Azad Kashmir, he would hold corner meetings and in public rallies he used to cite small examples to invoke the spirit of nationalism among his audience asking them to become the masters of their land.
I am talking of the days when Muslim Conference enjoyed predominance in Azad Kashmir and the cliché was that one who did not adhere to Muslim Conference ideology was not a Musulman. Anything outside accession to Pakistan was considered a conspiracy against Pakistan. In these strongly blowing winds, organizations like Plebiscite Front for Pakistan, Azad Kashmir and NLF tried to keep the flame of freedom and self-determination alive.
Maqbool Bhat was gifted with melodious voice and he dressed elegantly. When he spoke, one felt that the soul of all revolutionaries of the world had converged inside him. He had intense love and affection for the poor.
Having lit the flame of freedom in my heart, Maqbool Bhat bade me farewell. I returned to Kashmir. Here I raised small cells each comprising two or three young boys. My difficulty was that my friends looked at me rather askance when I confided to them about independent Kashmir. I wondered why they did not understand the simple thing that this was our house and we are its owners. Today forty-two years later, I find that much human blood has run down the Jhelum and many people know that accession to India or Pakistan is not possible but continue to subscribe to that thinking.
We had produced literature in our handwriting and got it printed at litho press for pasting the copies on the walls of the street in the city. Ashraf Qureshi was good at drawing; he would draw pictures showing a Kashmiri carrying a gun in his hand. Our posters for freedom carried the message of armed struggle on the pattern of struggles in Palestine and Algeria. These posters were in fact the first message for armed struggle in Kashmir for freedom and self determination. The purpose was to inculcate consciousness among the people in Kashmir for independence. This was at a time when Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah was at the peak of his influence not allowing any other organization or leadership to raise its head
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Human rights abuses: US committee hears grievances of Balochistan
WASHINGTON: In the packed Room 2200 of the Rayburn Office Building, members of the House Foreign Affairs’ Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations began hearing human rights activists and scholars detail human rights abuses in Balochistan.
The hearing chaired by Congressman (R) Dana Rohrabacher, who last week introduced a bill in the House of Representatives to award Dr. Shakil Afridi with US citizenship. In his opening remarks, Rep. Rohrabacher said that Balochistan is a turbulent land marred by human rights violations “by regimes that are against US values”.
Rep. Rohrabacher outlined the history of Pakistan’s creation, and highlighted Balochistan’s grievances vis a vis natural resources, said that the province’s wealth was being taken by dominant Punjabi elite.
Addressing the committee, scholar Christine Fair said that while she understood emotions ran high, targeted killings were also being carried out by the Baloch.
In his submitted testimony to the committee, Amnesty International’s Advocacy Director T. Kumar called on the US to “apply the Leahy Amendment without waivers to all Pakistani military units in Balochistan.”
Ali Dayan Hasan, the Pakistan director for Human Rights Watch, in his submitted remarks, said that cases documented by the HRW show that Pakistan’s security forces and its intelligence agencies were involved in the enforced disappearance of ethnic Baloch. The HRW representative asked the US government in his recommendations to “communicate directly to the agencies responsible for disappearances and other abuses including the army, ISI, IB, Frontier Corps, police and other law enforcement and intelligence agencies, to demand an end to abuses and facilitate criminal inquiries to hold perpetrators accountable.”
Hasan dubbed the military’s role in the province as brutal, and an occupying one. He clarified that the HRW took no position on the issue of the independence of Balochistan. He argued that the US and UK had made enforced disappearances possible by allowing them during the war on terror, which has led to the military doing the same. Christine Fair added that Pakistan’s abuse of human rights have served the US’ interests.
In his testimony, analyst Ralph Peters called Pakistan a supporter of terrorism, and said that Pakistan had made the US complicit too by launching attacks against India such as the Mumbai attack.
The hearing, which lasted a little over an hour, came to an end as congressmen decided to go to the floor for a vote. In his closing remarks, Rep. Rohrabacher declared that the hearing was no stunt, and that they wanted to start a national dialogue on what US policy should be in that part of the world.
State Department distances itself from Balochistan hearing
When asked about the Congressional hearing on Balochistan, State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that their view on Balochistan remains unchanged. “Congress holds hearings on many foreign affairs topics. These hearings don’t necessarily imply that the US Government endorses one view or another view. I’d underscore that the State Department is not participating or involved in this hearing today.”
The spokesperson referred to comments she had made recently on Balochistan on Twitter, “We emphasise that the United States engages with Pakistan on a whole range of issues, including ways to foster economic development and expand opportunity in Balochistan.”
When asked whether the US supports a demand for an independent Balochistan, Nuland said, “Our view on this has not changed, and you know where we’ve been on Balochistan. We encourage all the parties in Balochistan to work out their differences peacefully and through a valid political process.”
M Hossein Bor, a Baloch lawyer and witness at the hearing, said that according to Baloch sources, nearly 4,000 people have disappeared in the province since 2001. In his submitted remarks, Mr Bor called on the US to support an independent Balochistan “in case Pakistan or Iran or both collapsed from within”.
The hearing, which lasted nearly 75 minutes, came to an early and somewhat abrupt end as the congressmen were summoned to the House floor for a vote.
Monday, January 23, 2012
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Fake and poor quality anti-malarial drugs are threatening efforts to control the disease in Africa and could put millions of lives at risk, scientists say.
The counterfeit medicines could harm patients and promote drug resistance among malaria parasites, warns the study, funded by the Wellcome Trust.
Malaria is believed to kill about 800,000 people a year.
Some of the fake tablets are said to have originated in China.
The researchers, from the Wellcome Trust-Mahosot Hospital-Oxford University Tropical Medicine Research Collaboration, published their work in the Malaria Journal.
They examined fake and substandard anti-malarial drugs that were found on sale in 11 African countries between 2002 and 2010.
They discovered that some counterfeits contained a mixture of the wrong pharmaceutical ingredients which would initially alleviate the symptoms of malaria but would not cure it.
Some of the ingredients in the tablets could cause potentially serious side effects, the study found, especially if they were mixed with other drugs a patient might be taking, like anti-retrovirals to treat HIV.
Drug resistance
The malaria parasite can, after a period of time, develop resistance to the drugs being used to treat it.
This has happened in the past with medicines such as chloroquine and mefloquine.
The researchers warn that the fake drugs could lead to the same effect on artemisinin, one of the most effective drugs now being used to treat malaria.
They say small quantities of artemisinin derivatives are being put in some of the counterfeit products to ensure that they pass authenticity tests.
However, at the level it is present, these drugs are unlikely to rid the body of malaria parasites, but could enable them to build up resistance to artemisinin, the study warns.
The Asian origin of the fake drugs was identified using traces of pollen found in some of the tablets.
The lead researcher on the study, Dr Paul Newton, called for urgent measures from African governments to tackle counterfeit anti-malarials.
"Failure to take action will put at risk the lives of millions of people, particularly children and pregnant women," he said.
"The enormous investment in the development, evaluation and deployment of anti-malarials is wasted if the medicines that patients actually take are, due to criminality or carelessness, of poor quality and do not cure."
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Mohmand Agency: Dunya News correspondent killed
Dunay News correspondent Mukarram Khan has been killed by firing of unknown miscreants in Shabqadar.
As per details, Mukarram Khan was going to offer prayer in the evening when suddenly unknown armed men started indiscriminate firing on him.
As a result, he was severely injured and shifted to a hospital where he succumbed to injuries.
It is worth mentioning that Mukarram Khan had been receiving life threats from unknown people.
ISLAMABAD: Amid thunderous applause, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani told the National Assembly on Monday that neither the army nor the judiciary could derail the system and he would respond to the contempt notice issued to him by the Supreme Court by personally appearing before the apex court on January 19, as instructed.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly on Monday approved with overwhelming majority the ‘pro-democracy’ resolution tabled by the Awami National Party despite stiff resistance from the PML-N which walked out of the lower house after the passage of the resolution.
The house also rejected the three amendments proposed by the PML-N with a majority vote but adopted the minor amendment proposed by the treasury benches.
Through the resolution, the overwhelming majority of the National Assembly endorsed and supported the efforts of the political leadership to strengthen democracy and reposed full confidence and trust in them.
The PML-N remained isolated on the opposition benches with only the support of the one-man PPP (Sherpao) and few members of the like-minded faction of the PML-Q; the other opposition party, JUI-F, supported the resolution and announced that it fully backed democracy in the country.
The passage of the resolution coincided with the Supreme Court’s decision to summon Prime Minister Gilani in a contempt of court notice for not implementing the NRO verdict.
“The court has summoned me and I will appear before it on January 19 as I have always respected the courts,” PM Gilani said amid loud desk thumping while addressing the National Assembly after the passage of the resolution.
In his address to the National Assembly on Friday night, the prime minister said when he was elected as the chief executive, his first order was to release the judges. “The ones we took beatings for are now calling us disloyal,” the PM added.
He said the government did not want a confrontation with any institutions, including the judiciary, and no one should degrade the mandate of the elected government. “The resolution is not meant to get a vote of confidence for or against any institution,” he said, adding: “We don’t need a certificate to prove our patriotism. Leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party have already rendered countless sacrifices for the cause of democracy in the country.”
The PM said he had never sought the support of the house for our [PPP-led] government but for democracy. “Even if we have differences of opinion with the army and judges, both have to protect democracy. It will not be possible for anyone to derail the system,” he added.
“If there is no democracy then all of us will go together,” the PM said. “We have to protect this system that our leaders Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto gave their lives for.”
The PM said efforts had been made to provoke him but he had never gotten provoked in the last four years. He said all institutions of the country were passing through evolution and growing with time. We did not come to the assembly under threat and are not against any institution. We did not come here to protect ourselves.”
The PM said he was beaten with sticks, endured tear gas, went to jail and faced anti-terrorism cases for the restoration of judges.
He said in the last fours, this house had approved more than 100 amendments in the Constitution through consensus and even made laws with consensus. “How can the parliament be described as a rubber stamp when a majority of legislation was made through consensus and unanimously,” the prime minister asked.
Justifying the convening of the special session of the National Assembly, the prime minister said if the government had not convened the session, the opposition would have complained that the country was passing trough a critical phase but the government did not summon the session to discuss the situation. “We have summoned parliament to give the message to the world that this is a responsible parliament, which is the supreme institution of the country, and that democracy is stable,” the PM added.
The prime minister said while everyone was talking about the NRO, no one was paying attention to its creator [former President Pervez Musharraf], who was now claiming that Pakistan was calling him. “Is there no law for those who change parties and loyalties?” he asked.
Prime Minister said the present assembly deserved congratulations also for the completion of four years; on average, he said, assemblies in the past had lived for one to two years. He said the present parliament had passed record legislation and adopted constitutional amendments with consensus. He said the assembly has been mandated by the people and their mandate should not be disrespected.
Prime Minister Gilani saluted all coalition partners including the PML-Q, MQM, ANP, the Fata group and the JUI (F) for supporting the resolution.
Earlier, Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar proposed the amendment in the fourth para of the resolution that after the amendment read as: “The House reiterates that sovereignty lies with the Almighty Allah and authority exercised by the people of Pakistan and the parliament is repository of the collective wisdom of the people.”
The resolution that was tabled by ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan in the National Assembly stated: “This House believes that the present democratic dispensation — which is about to complete four years — came in to being as a result of great sacrifices rendered by the people of Pakistan”.
The resolution says: “This House reiterates the belief of the democratic forces that the future of Pakistan and well being of its people lies in the continuation and strengthening of democratic institutions and constitutionalism for the resolution of national issues — strengthening of the federation and empowering the people of Pakistan.
“This House believes that for the furtherance of democracy and democratic institutions the basic constitutional principle of trichotomy of powers must be fully respected and adhered to and all state institutions must strictly function within the limits imposed on them by the Constitution.
“The House reiterates that sovereignty lies with the Almighty Allah and authority exercised by the people of Pakistan and the parliament is repository of the collective wisdom of the people.
“This House endorses and supports the efforts made by the political leadership for strengthening democracy and reposes full confidence and trust in them.”
The treasury benches rejected three amendments by the PML-N regarding ending power and gas loadshedding and implementation of all the orders of the Supreme Court and previous resolutions of parliament.
Meanwhile, the National Assembly on Monday approved with overwhelming majority the ‘pro-democracy’ resolution tabled by the Awami National Party despite stiff resistance from the PML-N which walked out of the lower house after the passage of the resolution.
The house also rejected the three amendments proposed by the PML-N with a majority vote but adopted the minor amendment proposed by the treasury benches.
Through the resolution, the overwhelming majority of the National Assembly endorsed and supported the efforts of the political leadership to strengthen democracy and reposed full confidence and trust in them.
The PML-N remained isolated on the opposition benches with only the support of the one-man PPP (Sherpao) and few members of the like-minded faction of the PML-Q; the other opposition party, JUI-F, supported the resolution and announced that it fully backed democracy in the country.
The passage of the resolution coincided with the Supreme Court’s decision to summon Prime Minister Gilani in a contempt of court notice for not implementing the NRO verdict.
“The court has summoned me and I will appear before it on January 19 as I have always respected the courts,” PM Gilani said amid loud desk thumping while addressing the National Assembly after the passage of the resolution.
In his address to the National Assembly on Friday night, the prime minister said when he was elected as the chief executive, his first order was to release the judges. “The ones we took beatings for are now calling us disloyal,” the PM added.
He said the government did not want a confrontation with any institutions, including the judiciary, and no one should degrade the mandate of the elected government. “The resolution is not meant to get a vote of confidence for or against any institution,” he said, adding: “We don’t need a certificate to prove our patriotism. Leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party have already rendered countless sacrifices for the cause of democracy in the country.”
The PM said he had never sought the support of the house for our [PPP-led] government but for democracy. “Even if we have differences of opinion with the army and judges, both have to protect democracy. It will not be possible for anyone to derail the system,” he added.
“If there is no democracy then all of us will go together,” the PM said. “We have to protect this system that our leaders Zulifiqar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto gave their lives for.”
The PM said efforts had been made to provoke him but he had never gotten provoked in the last four years. He said all institutions of the country were passing through evolution and growing with time. We did not come to the assembly under threat and are not against any institution. We did not come here to protect ourselves.”
The PM said he was beaten with sticks, endured tear gas, went to jail and faced anti-terrorism cases for the restoration of judges.
He said in the last fours, this house had approved more than 100 amendments in the Constitution through consensus and even made laws with consensus. “How can the parliament be described as a rubber stamp when a majority of legislation was made through consensus and unanimously,” the prime minister asked.
Justifying the convening of the special session of the National Assembly, the prime minister said if the government had not convened the session, the opposition would have complained that the country was passing trough a critical phase but the government did not summon the session to discuss the situation. “We have summoned parliament to give the message to the world that this is a responsible parliament, which is the supreme institution of the country, and that democracy is stable,” the PM added.
The prime minister said while everyone was talking about the NRO, no one was paying attention to its creator [former President Pervez Musharraf], who was now claiming that Pakistan was calling him. “Is there no law for those who change parties and loyalties?” he asked.
Prime Minister said the present assembly deserved congratulations also for the completion of four years; on average, he said, assemblies in the past had lived for one to two years. He said the present parliament had passed record legislation and adopted constitutional amendments with consensus. He said the assembly has been mandated by the people and their mandate should not be disrespected.
Prime Minister Gilani saluted all coalition partners including the PML-Q, MQM, ANP, the Fata group and the JUI (F) for supporting the resolution.
Earlier, Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar proposed the amendment in the fourth para of the resolution that after the amendment read as: “The House reiterates that sovereignty lies with the Almighty Allah and authority exercised by the people of Pakistan and the parliament is repository of the collective wisdom of the people.”
The resolution that was tabled by ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan in the National Assembly stated: “This House believes that the present democratic dispensation — which is about to complete four years — came in to being as a result of great sacrifices rendered by the people of Pakistan”.
The resolution says: “This House reiterates the belief of the democratic forces that the future of Pakistan and well being of its people lies in the continuation and strengthening of democratic institutions and constitutionalism for the resolution of national issues — strengthening of the federation and empowering the people of Pakistan.
“This House believes that for the furtherance of democracy and democratic institutions the basic constitutional principle of trichotomy of powers must be fully respected and adhered to and all state institutions must strictly function within the limits imposed on them by the Constitution.
“The House reiterates that sovereignty lies with the Almighty Allah and authority exercised by the people of Pakistan and the parliament is repository of the collective wisdom of the people.
“This House endorses and supports the efforts made by the political leadership for strengthening democracy and reposes full confidence and trust in them.”
The treasury benches rejected three amendments by the PML-N regarding ending power and gas loadshedding and implementation of all the orders of the Supreme Court and previous resolutions of parliament.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
President Zardari, General Kayani meet
SLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari and Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani met on Saturday, DawnNews reported. The meeting was held on the request of the army chief.
Television reports said the two discussed the memo scandal and issues related to national security.
Sources told DawnNews that the meeting between the army chief and the president lasted for over an hour.
Sources said General Kayani told the president that he had reservations over Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s statements in a Chinese daily regarding the replies submitted by the army chief and DG ISI in the memo case.
The military chief reportedly requested the president to direct the premier to retract his statements made to the newspaper.
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
ISPR warns PM of serious ramifications of comments regarding army chief and ISI DG
Gilani sacks defence secy, gives additional charge to Nargis Sethi
“Any expectation that the COAS will not state the facts is neither constitutional nor legal. Allegiance to the State and the Constitution is and will always remain prime consideration for the respondent (the COAS), who, in this case, has followed the book,” the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a statement, unmistakably conveying to the prime minister that the COAS had not violated the constitution and also suggesting that the position of the COAS on the memo issue would remain unchanged. This also removed the ambiguity, if there was any, that the question of national security, understandably in the context of the memo, would be compromised by the army.
The already perilous situation turned even more tense when the prime minister, after the ISPR issued a strongly-worded statement, sacked Defence Secretary Lt General (r) Khalid Naeem Lodhi for also not following the rules of business in the memo case. As the prime minister gave his favourite and trusted bureaucrat Nargis Sethi, instead of a retired general as was the practice since long, the additional charge of defence secretary, it appeared as if the government would remove the two top generals as well by withdrawing the notifications granting them extensions in service as the COAS and the ISI director general.
Another coincidence, which added to the already volatile situation and suggested that it was a matter of hours before ‘the boots’ marched, was the appointment of Brigadier Sarfaraz Ali as commander of the 111 Brigade, which always played a pivotal role in military takeovers. Though it was a routine posting as the present commander of the 111 Brigade had been posted out on his promotion as major general, it was, however, also seen in the context of the developments that took place on Wednesday.
While the situation on the ground remained normal, the in-house consultations in Rawalpindi and Islamabad continued to evaluate the responses and counter-responses with uncertainty gripping the whole country. As the tension between the army and the government continued to increase, the international media closely watched the situation and the diplomatic missions in Islamabad also keenly observed the developments.
With the civil and military leadership seemingly facing off, the political parties also got alarmed and started inter- and intra-party consultations in view of the situation that was being feared would end up in a confrontation between the state institutions, threatening the democratic process in the country at a time when the memo issue was already about to take its toll as the COAS and the ISI DG were not ready to soften their positions and the government also not showing any signs of giving in. The National Assembly will meet today and the prime minister is expected to make a speech on the situation. Similarly, General Kayani has also called a meeting of his Principle Staff Officers (PSOs) at the GHQ today.
The ISPR’s statement did carry a strong message for the government and it appeared to have also been received well with the prime minister and some ministers later in the evening, explaining the government’s position to defuse the situation seeing the mood of the opposition parties and particularly that of the coalition partners, which did not robustly come forward in support of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and its leadership against the army.
The ISPR statement referred to the prime minister’s interview with a Chinese newspaper wherein he had, inter alia, termed the responses given by the COAS and the ISI DG in the memo case to the Supreme Court “unconstitutional and illegal”. “There can be no allegation more serious than what the Honourable Prime Minister has leveled against the COAS and the ISI DG and has unfortunately charged the officers for violation of the Constitution of the Country. This has very serious ramifications with potentially grievous consequences for the country,” the ISPR said.
The ISPR rejected the prime minister’s statement as false, reminding him of a press release issued by his own office after his meeting with the COAS on December 16. The PM House’s statement had said: “The Prime Minister and the Army Chief also agreed that replies forwarded by the COAS and DG ISI were in response to the notice of the Honourable Court, through proper channel and in accordance with the rules of business and should not be misconstrued as a standoff between the Army and the government.”
What made the GHQ react so strongly was that if the government had not agreed to the COAS and the ISI DG filing their responses to the Supreme Court, why had it not objected to this at that time instead of the prime minister making a statement more than three weeks after they had submitted their responses, and that too in an interview with a foreign newspaper, charging the two top generals with violation of the constitution.
The ISPR also categorically stated that the COAS and the ISI DG, in their response to the Supreme Court, were obliged to state facts as known to them on the memo issue. “The issue of jurisdiction and maintainability of the petitions was between the Supreme Court and the Federation,” the ISPR said.
The ISPR referred to the prime minister’s statement, which, it said, did not take into account important facts: i) the COAS and the ISI DG were cited as respondents in the petitions as such and after hearing the parties the Supreme Court served notices directly to the respondents. This was not objected to by the attorney general of Pakistan; ii) the responses by the respondents were sent to the Ministry of Defence for onward submission to the Supreme Court, through the attorney general (Law Ministry); iii) a letter was also dispatched to the attorney general and the Supreme Court informing that the replies had been submitted to the Ministry of Defence; iv) it is emphasised that copies of the statements of the two respondents were not forwarded directly to the Supreme Court; v) responsibility for moving summaries and obtaining approvals of the competent authority thereafter lay with the relevant ministries and not with the respondents.
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