Thursday, May 17, 2012

4Pakistani.com

4Pakistani.com

Fazl caricature removed at ‘tolerance’ exhibition

Posted: 16 May 2012 10:39 PM PDT



PESHAWAR: 

A caricature of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman was removed during a photo exhibition, ironically titled 'Intolerance', at the Nishtar Hall Gallery on Wednesday.

One of the participants told The Express Tribune that another caricature of the JUI-F chief was already removed earlier on the insistence of some political figures.

The 10-day programme, titled 'Face Off,' aimed at countering growing intolerance and radicalism, concluded on Wednesday.

The work that was removed depicted the JUI-F chief emerging from a lamp. It was removed on the order of a senior bureaucrat. The artists, Nida and Saima from the Department of Fine Arts, University of Peshawar, were disheartened.

"We portrayed him the way we saw him and there was nothing extraordinary about it," Saima said.

"It was an artistic attempt and everyone should have at least some guts to accept it," she added.

Syed Saifuddin, another student of the same department, told The Express Tribune that the organisers removed another such caricature that he had drawn a day earlier.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.

Dr Chishty comes home to jubilant family

Posted: 16 May 2012 10:24 PM PDT



KARACHI: 

The wait for Dr Khalil Chishty's family was finally over on Wednesday as the octogenarian returned to his hometown 20 years after being incarcerated at his ancestral home in India.

The 82-year-old virologist was greeted with a resounding applause, rose petals and flashing cameras as he arrived at the Jinnah International Airport at 9pm.

Clad in an off-white waistcoat and a Jinnah cap, Chishty, in a wheelchair, was escorted by his family and MQM leader Babar Ghauri, and left for his home in North Nazimabad, without speaking to the media.

Chishty's son Tariq, who had accompanied his father from the capital, said: "It is the happiest day of my life." The doctor's wife, who was accompanied by former deputy mayor Nasreen Jalil, was speechless and teary-eyed at her husband's return. Jalil called her a 'hero,' for raising the children all by herself while her husband was incarcerated.

Earlier, the family, while waiting anxiously at the airport, said they were unable to express how they felt.

Chishty's daughter Shoa Jawaid said: "I can't tell you how happy I am. I was hopeful that he would come back, and by the grace of God, he is with us again."

Chishty's other daughter, Farah Hadi, held her daughter as she waited at the arrival lounge for her father. She said two more of her sisters, based in Jeddah and Canada, would reach Karachi in a week.

Chaos at the airport

As soon as Chishty came out in the arrival area, cameramen scrambled to capture his arrival and were pushed back by security officials. In the ensuing chaos, journalists fell on top of each other and cameras were broken.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.

Counter-affidavit: Durrani concedes ISI role in poll rigging

Posted: 16 May 2012 10:09 PM PDT



ISLAMABAD: 

Former Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) chief Lieutenant General (retd) Assad Durrani has conceded the role of ISI and Military Intelligence (MI) in rigging the 1990 parliamentary elections.

Durrani submitted an affidavit in response to the one submitted by Gen Mirza Aslam Beg blaming the ISI for corrupt practices. Durrani stated that then-army chief, Aslam Beg, knew about the plan. Defending his position, Durrani insisted that the role of ISI and MI in distributing funds among various politicians and political parties was lawful.

"The ISI had the mandate to carry out this task," he maintained.

"The decision to disburse election donations may well have been taken by then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who having handpicked the caretaker government including the prime minister Mustafa Jatoi, was the de-facto chief executive. The operation was therefore lawful and followed an established chain of command," he said.

"All accounts were maintained by officers belonging to various MI detachments, and funds were placed in temporary accounts… details can be provided on a confidential basis. The balance was transferred to an ISI special fund only after the disbursements were completed," Durrani held, adding that "Since records were maintained meticulously, all transactions can be accounted for."

Gen Beg filed a fresh statement on May 10 attempting to absolve himself of any role in the distribution of funds.  Gen Durrani said "General Mirza Aslam Beg was on board this operation right from the beginning – both in the process of issuing instructions, as well as overseeing the disbursements."

"I received my initial orders to organise the distribution of election donations through the president (Ishaq Khan). Though subsequent instructions were at times conveyed by Ijlal Haider Zaidi, a member of the president's election team, I kept the army chief fully informed," Durrani added.

The general also held that "in this case I followed orders convinced that it was in the best interest of the country. I seek the court's permission to explain my decision on a confidential basis, or if it pleases the court, to submit a paper on the subject for the court's eyes only."

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.

South Punjab: President forms committee to push for one new province

Posted: 16 May 2012 09:54 PM PDT



LAHORE: 

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will press ahead on the issue of new provinces – but is looking to create just one new unit in south Punjab for the time being, as opposed to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)'s  move to propose two.

However, whether it will be a 'Seraiki' province or 'Bahawalpur' is still undecided.

President Asif Ali Zardari has given a go-ahead to the party to draft legislation on the formation of a south Punjab and has constituted a high-level committee, which has to submit its recommendations in three months, sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune.

In a meeting at the President House on Monday between President Zardari and parliamentarians from south Punjab, a number of key proposals and some decisions were made on a new province. The proposals will be weighed at meetings of the new committee.

The committee will operate under the supervision of federal minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin, and members Senator Sughra Imam and Minister for Religious Affairs Syed Khurshid Shah will finalise the recommendations.

The mandate

According to details, the committee, among other things, will ponder over the new south Punjab province, and its name.

There is one particularly interesting proposal.

There are two main schools of thoughts – one supporting a linguistic-based 'Seraiki' province and the other an administrative-based Bahawalpur province – but the PPP has decided to create just one new unit. Therefore, the party will look to pacify the ones whose idea does not materialise.

How will the PPP do this?

If the party goes ahead with a 'Seraiki' province, the provincial headquarters will be Bahawalpur city – and if it goes ahead with Bahawalpur province, then the capital will be Multan.

In the preliminary stage, industrial zones will be established between Multan and Bahawalpur and later expanded into three zones.

Composition

According to ambitious proposals, aside from the 11 districts of three divisions, Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur, the new province would also look to carve out Bhakkar, Mianwali and Jhang.

Pakpattan, which is one district of Sahiwal division, would also be included. President Zardari wanted the entire Sahiwal division but some of his party members belonging to the area advised him against this. The committee will decide on this matter now.

The next step

According to sources, President Zardari said that recommendations of the party committee would be forwarded to the Parliamentary Committee on Constitutional Reforms (PCCR), which would draft the bill of a 21st Amendment for the formation of South Punjab province.

PCCR would perform its role as commission and to finalize all issues including demarcation and financial issues.

Senator Sughra Imam while talking with The Express Tribune confirmed the sources' claims, and said that the party committee had already started working.

Sub-article 4 of Article 239 states that a bill needs to be moved by two-thirds of Parliament – and then sent to the concerned provincial assembly, which also needs two-thirds of the house to pass it.  The president will then sign it.

"The timing of the formation depends on the final drafting of the committee – whether it does a bulk of the work before budget or after the budget" said sources.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.

‘Missing’ persons case: PHC orders release of white category militants

Posted: 16 May 2012 09:39 PM PDT



PESHAWAR: 

The Peshawar High Court informed relatives of 'missing' persons on Wednesday that those detained in Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) will be identified soon and their details will be submitted to the court within one week.

Around 100 relatives of missing persons, lawyers and members of human rights commission were present during the hearing.

PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan, heading the divisional bench with Justice Waqar Ahmad Seth, was informed by Fata Additional Chief Secretary Dr Tashfain that a list of all those detained in tribal areas will be prepared, a copy of which will be given to the court.

"We can go beyond our frontiers if you are unable to lay hands on those people (abductors). We are under constitutional obligation to set them (detainees) free," the PHC CJ remarked.

The court directed the Judge advocate general to release white category militants (suspects with no charges against them) within 15 days and also directed the provincial police to refuse assistance to security agencies in picking up people. Judge Advocate General Branch General Headquarters Rawalpindi Brigadier Nobahar told the court that the number of missing persons has sharply decreased and people were being shifted to internment centres.

"Those innocent are being released once they are de-radicalised and only the black and grey category militants are shifted to internment centres, subject to information by the police and joint investigation teams," Nobahar said.

Secretary Home and Tribal Affairs Department Muhammad Azam Khan informed the court that around 1,039 detained persons were so far released after they went through the de-radicalisation process in different internment centres.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Amina Masood Janjua, wife of Masood Janjua, who has been missing for seven years, expressed satisfaction over the efforts of the PHC for tackling the issue of missing persons. "I have more hope now than ever before." she said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.

Wife Murder Life Imprisonment Accuse Wife Returned

Posted: 16 May 2012 09:39 PM PDT

Seeking accountability: PAC orders inquiry into Sheikh Rashid’s illegal purchase

Posted: 16 May 2012 09:24 PM PDT



ISLAMABAD: 

The Public Account Committee (PAC) has ordered an inquiry into the illegal purchase of a Mercedes Benz coach in 2005 that can possibly implicate former information minister Sheikh Rashid and the then information secretary Shahid Rafi.

The PAC, parliament's top accountability body, took the decision after the Federal Audit's director general (DG) revealed that the former top officials of the information ministry had bought the imported luxury vehicle while the premier had only allowed the purchase of a Hyundai van for staff use.

PAC Chairman Nadeem Afzal Chan ordered Information Secretary Taimur Azmat to complete the inquiry within 15 days and fix responsibility. The secretary's efforts to convince the accountability body that the purchases were legal went unheard.

The Mercedes vehicle in question was bought for Rs2.2 million.

"Who pocketed the additional Rs1 million?" asked Noor Alam, a Pakistan Peoples Party MNA.

The audit official said that in December 2004, then prime minister Shaukat Aziz relaxed a ban and allowed the purchase of the Hyundai Grace Van. However, the ministry illegally purchased an imported vehicle, Mercedes Benz Sprinter 311 CDI coach from Messers Shah Nawaz. The payment for which was made in July 2005.

"The purchase of the foreign-assembled vehicle was unauthorised", said Federal Audit's DG. He said despite having the premier's approval to purchase a van, the ministry advertised the approved vehicle but gave specifications of a Mercedez Benz.

In another case, the PAC ordered an inquiry into irregular expenditures of $ 15,647 (Rs1.44 million) on dental treatment by a former bureaucrat. Azmat contended that recently-retired information secretary Sohail Mansoor got dental treatment when he was posted as the press minister in New York.

ATV Default Case

The PAC also decided to request the Supreme Court to settle the issue of the Rs260 million default by the contractors of a private television channel.

The issue is pending with the apex court and despite repeated attempts the court is not fixing a hearing date, said an official of the ministry. He requested the PAC that his name should not appear in media reports since the case was still pending in the court.

He alleged that the ATV contractor has defaulted and when the government tried to recover the amount he went to court, seeking appointment of an arbitrator.

He said the contractor has hired the services of Athar Minalla. "As long as Minalla is the lawyer the ministry cannot get an early hearing date", remarked PAC Chairman Chan.

In the 2007 judiciary restoration movement, Minalla was the spokesperson for Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.

The official said that the ministry has requested the Supreme Court to allow a re-auction of ATV.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.

IK protest against Zardari nomination – Gawah rehna

Posted: 16 May 2012 09:24 PM PDT

2008- Imran Khan’s protest rally in Islamabad against the presidential nomination of Asif Zardari…

The purpose of uploading this chunk is that everyone must witness this at the day of judgment that who

protested against this AZZABB

In Chicago: Zardari, Obama, Karzai to discuss Taliban peace talks

Posted: 16 May 2012 09:09 PM PDT



ISLAMABAD: 

Top leaders from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States are expected to discuss new measures to expedite the reconciliation process in the war-torn country at crucial talks on the margins of the upcoming Nato summit in Chicago this weekend.

The three capitals are currently discussing the possibility of a 'core group' meeting at the summit level when the presidents of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US will be in Chicago to attend the historic gathering slated for May 20-21, an official told The Express Tribune.

The group was formed in early 2011 to coordinate efforts for reaching out to the Taliban. Since then officials from the three countries have held several rounds of talks to work out modalities for holding direct negotiations with the insurgents in Afghanistan.

However, this is going to be for the first time the meeting of the core group will take place at the highest level, added the official.

Speaking on condition of anonymity, the official described the expected meeting among Presidents Asif Ali Zardari, Hamid Karzai and Barack Obama as 'significant', saying the three-way talks will likely involve discussion on new initiatives to seek a peaceful end to the Afghan conflict.

"We have a consistent position that the road to peace in Afghanistan goes through a meaningful reconciliation process," another official pointed out.

"That is why we have stated a number of times that Pakistan is in favour of an Afghan-led, Afghan-owned and Afghan-driven peace process," the official maintained.

It is expected that Islamabad will reiterate this position at the three-way talks with emphasis on having a clear roadmap for the Afghan endgame.

Islamabad believes that the centre of gravity as far as peace negotiations are concerned must be Kabul instead of any other world capital.

This approach comes in direct conflict with the US, which is currently pushing for the Qatar initiative to make peace with the 'reconcilable' Taliban.

Last month, top diplomats from Pakistan, Afghanistan and the US in their talks in Islamabad took a major initiative to encourage insurgents to sit at the negotiating table.

They agreed to launch a new initiative that envisages providing safe passage to Afghan Taliban who are willing to enter the peace process.

The core group will help arrange a safe passage for the Taliban who will travel for peace talks through Pakistan, overseas and also in Afghanistan.

However, the success of the new initiative remains to be seen as many experts believe that previous attempts to lure foot-soldiers of the Afghan Taliban have failed.

Nevertheless, representatives from the three countries described the proposal as a step in the right direction.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17th, 2012.

Can anyone think of speaking with present rulers in this tone??

Posted: 16 May 2012 09:09 PM PDT
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