London: MQM chief Altaf Hussain discharged from hospital
According to sources, Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain was hospitalised for the last one week in London where he was being treated.
After remained under doctor’s observation for a week, doctors discharged him with the advice of complete bed rest.
Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah and other leaders of the Pakistan People’s Party called the MQM London Secretariat and inquired about the health of the Muttahida chief.
President Asif Ali Zardari and Interior Minister Rehman Malik have sent him bouquets in London.
BB murder case hearing adjourned as defence lawyers observes itikaf
The defence lawyer did not appear before the court as he was observing itikaf.
Seven accused in the case were to be indicted today but the defence lawyer did not appear due to itikaf.
The court adjourned the hearing till September 10.
Separately, the court recorded Salman Taseer’s murder case probing officer Inspector Hakim Ali Khan.
In Mumbai attack conspiracy case, the court recorded the statement of four witnesses.
Hearing of those cases was also adjourned until September 10.
Quaid-e-Azams 135th birthday being celebrated today
The 135th birthday of the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah is being marked today throughout the country with zeal and fervor.
A change of guard ceremony was held at the mausoleum of the Father of the Nation. Cadets of the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA), Kakul mounted the guard at the Mazar-e-Quaid. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad Khan, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah along with the provincial cabinet and representatives of all three forces laid floral wreaths and offered Fateha at the Mazar-e-Quaid. People from various walks of life will visit the Mazar-e-Quaid to pay homage to the Father of the Nation. A number of organisations have chalked out programmes to mark the birth anniversary of the Founder of the Nation.
President Zardari Vows to Fight Back
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday said the PPP will use democracy and constitutionalism as its weapons to fight its adversaries and foil all conspiracies against it.
Zardari said this while addressing the concluding session of the Central Executive Committee (CEC) meeting of the Pakistan Peoples Party in the Presidency late night Saturday.
The CEC of the party not only reposed full confidence in President’s leadership – who also co-chairs the party – but also vowed to rally around him at time when he is the target of criticism and political attacks from all around and to put up a fierce fight in his defence.
Briefing the newsmen the spokesperson to the President former Senator Farhatullah Babar said that the Co-Chairman of the PPP also categorically stated that the PPP will not be blackmailed into asking its ministers to resign merely on the basis of accusations against them.
“None of accusations had been proved during more than a decade of witch hunting and there is no reason why anyone should resign until proved guilty of wrong doing,” Zardari was quoted as saying.
The President said that despite hurdles created in its way the PPP will continue its forward march to strengthen democracy and emancipate the poor and the downtrodden and will not be deterred by conspiracies against it.
President Zardari said that the party survived even after the judicial murder of its founder Chairman and the country’s first directly-elected Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. The President said that the party also survived the assassination of its Chairperson Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto two years ago.
“We have faced many challenges in the past and are ready to face even more challenges in the future but will not abandon the fight nor run away from the field.”
Zardari said he foresaw many more conspiracies and onslaughts against the PPP and added that none of the conspiracies will be allowed to succeed. He said that individuals in some institutions may have wronged the PPP but “we will not harm the institution to avenge wrong doing by any of its member.”
PPP is a party that gave the country unanimous Constitution, the mother of all institutions, and it will protect and strengthen state institutions at all cost, the President observed.
He said that the PPP was the party of the masses from Khyber to Karachi and from Bolan to Gilgit-Baltistan, to Azad Kashmir and to tribal areas and as a party of the federation will protect and defend the federation at all cost.
The government was fast moving towards finalizing the Constitutional reforms and the credit for this will also goes to the PPP in the same way as it is credited for the NFC Award, the G-B reforms, the forward movement on FCR and the Benazir Income Support Program, Farhatullah Babar quoted the President as saying.
President Zardari said that he was inspired by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s historic remarks that he would rather die at the hand of dictators than be killed by history. This is the compass of my life too, he said.
