Ineffective laws helping terrorists: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani on Friday sought help from the parliamentarians to make appropriate laws to curb terrorism and appealed to the PML-N and MQM leaders to show maturity.

He was addressing the National Assembly today. The prime minister pointed out that most terrorists walked away due to lack of adequate laws to deal with the menace.

The PM said that foreign media was trying to taint the image of Pakistani institutions by giving false news.

Taking the National Assembly into confidence on the news items reported by foreign media about security agencies of the country, he said Pakistani security agencies have no need to violate human rights.

“If our agencies have to violate human rights then they would have asked us in meetings to make the anti terrorists law ineffective,” he asserted.

He said Anti Terrorist Act needed to be improved because thousands of terrorists who were apprehended by the law enforcement agencies were bailed out from the courts and again indulged in terrorist activities.

“I will not blame the judiciary but we have to improve the Anti Terrorist Act,” he said adding that terrorists have killed thousands of innocent people and personnel of security agencies.

He called for making the anti terrorist law more effective to ensure zero tolerance for anti- state elements.

He said foreign media wants to defame Pakistani institutions by giving an impression that Pakistani agencies are violating human rights.

Gilani said Islam is the religion of peace and tolerance but the foreign media tried to portray wrong image of the religion and Pakistan as well.

Referring to heated arguments between two political parties of the country, he said: “We have to show political maturity and avoid saying anything about political leadership. The political leadership is very respectable”.

He said media also have a major responsibility in this regard and it should report facts so that the facts may not be distorted.

Don-aided producer bullies Sanjay Dutt

MUMBAI: A day after a court ordered the attachment of two properties of Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt over a financial row with producer Shakeel Noorani, the actor”s lawyer Wednesday claimed that he received extortion calls from the underworld in 2005 at Noorani’s behest.

The film producer rubbished the allegation.

“Sanjay Dutt does not owe a single penny to Shakeel Noorani. Noorani, in the past, has been demanding money from Sanjay Dutt. Mr. Dutt has received extortion calls at the behest of Shakeel Noorani. The complaint was lodged with the Anti-Extortion Cell and late (senior police inspector) Vijay Salaskar was investigating the case,” said Rizwan Merchant, Dutt’s lawyer.

“Statement of Sanjay Dutt has been recorded. Shakeel Noorani was also personally called to the office of the Anti-Extortion Cell,” he added.

Merchant said that when Noorani did not succeed in his extortion demands in 2005, he (Noorani) made a complaint to the Indian Motion Pictures Producers” Association (IMPPA), which was rejected.

“Once a complaint is rejected, a subsequent complaint is barred. The IMPPA could not have passed any award once the first complaint was rejected,” Merchant said.

Noorani, however, rubbished all allegations made by the actor’s lawyer.

“In fact, Sanjay Dutt has threatened to get me shot if I chase him to complete my film. He had personally thrown me out of the set where he was shooting for his film “EMI” when I requested him to finish my film,” Noorani said.

Noorani also denied making any extortion calls, claiming that he had no underworld connections. “It is Sanjay Dutt who has underworld connections. He often met people from the underworld when we went for shooting abroad,” he said.

“I was also never called for questioning by Salaskar. You can check the records if you want,” he told reporters.

Noorani also claimed that the IMPPA had never rejected his complaint.

The Bombay High Court Tuesday ordered the attachment of two properties of Dutt. The decision followed an arbitration award passed by the IMPPA in January in favour of Noorani.

The properties ordered to be attached include the actor”s flat in the Imperial Heights building at Pali Hill in suburban Bandra and his office in suburban Santa Cruz.

Dutt has 30 days to pay Noorani, failing which his properties will be auctioned. The actor can also challenge the order in the high court.

Anti-dengue safety measures – Trend Pk VIDEO

Mohammad Ali Hafeez from Karachi reports on the anti-dengue safety measures taken by the common people. (November 13, 2010)

Anti-dengue safety measures – Trend Pk VIDEO

Mohammad Ali Hafeez from Karachi reports on the anti-dengue safety measures taken by the common people. (November 13, 2010)

Anti-dengue safety measures – Trend Pk VIDEO

Mohammad Ali Hafeez from Karachi reports on the anti-dengue safety measures taken by the common people. (November 13, 2010)

Anti-dengue safety measures – Trend Pk VIDEO

Mohammad Ali Hafeez from Karachi reports on the anti-dengue safety measures taken by the common people. (November 13, 2010)

Anti-dengue safety measures – Trend Pk VIDEO

Mohammad Ali Hafeez from Karachi reports on the anti-dengue safety measures taken by the common people. (November 13, 2010)

ICC to set up independent commission for spot-fixing

NEW DELHI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) will appoint an independent commissioner to determine the fate of the three Pakistani players fighting spot-fixing charges.

ICC President Sharad Pawar said Pakistan captain Salman Butt and pace bowlers Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Amir, who have been provisionally suspended and charged by the ICC under their anti-corruption code, will get an opportunity to present their version of the spot-fixing scandal that has rocked the sport.

“We have not punished anybody,” Pawar told Times Now channel in New York on Saturday where he is attending an international meeting of the Nationalist Congress Party of which he is the president.

“If there are some serious allegations and if the anti-corruption unit of the ICC comes to some prima facie conclusion, then we will have to send a notice to that particular player, it is not

Sialkot lynching: 6 policemen presented in ATC

Staff Report

SIALKOT: Six policemen, arrested in connection with the Sialkot lynching case has been presented before court today (Wednesday); former DPO Waqar Chohan is also expected to appear in court.

According to sources, 17 of the 23 accused involved in the brutal killing of two brothers in Sialkot were handed over to the police for seven days of physical remand yesterday; the remaining six police officials nominated in this case has been presented today in the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC). SAMAA

Journalists boycott PA proceedings

LAHORE: The entire media (print and electronic) boycotted Punjab Assembly proceedings on Monday with no journalist enter the Press Gallery for coverage.

While, no camera was installed in the TV channels” enclosure outside the Assembly chamber and the reporters abstained from holding any press talk with MPAs/ministers there.

However, a large number of journalists gathered on the premises of the Punjab Assembly to record their protest and remained there for over two hours till the session resumed sitting at 5pm instead of its scheduled time of 3pm.

The President Punjab Assembly Press Gallery”s President Zaheer Shahzad and General Secretary Shumaila Jafri, and Lahore Press Club”s President Sarmad Basheer, Vice President Aamir Waqas Chaudhry, General Secretary Zia Ullah Khan Niazi, Punjab Union of Journalits” President Rai Tahir Hasnain addressed the protesting journalists and advised them to remain peaceful, while protesting against the anti-media resolution unanimously passed by the provincial assembly on Friday last.

On this occasion, the Punjab Deputy Speaker Rana Mashhood Ahmed Khan, Law Minister Rana Sana Ullah Khan and Senior Minister Raja Riaz Ahmed also tried to talk with media representatives to sympathize them. But the journalists vowed that they would not hold talk with any MPAs/ministers until withdrawal of the anti-media resolution.

The media organisations also rejected the committee formed by the Punjab government to settle down the issue, and demand for a body must be headed by Punjab Chief Minister Mian Shahbaz Sharif. They also called upon the chief minister to clarify his position regarding the passage of anti-media resolution at the time he was present in his office in the Assembly building.

At 5:00 pm, the journalists dispersed after lodging their peaceful protest and will gather again in the Assembly premises tomorrow (Tuesday) at 11:00am in continuation of their peaceful protest.

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