Lahore: demo staged against Karachi violence

LAHORE: A large number of people took to street in Lahore and registered their protest over Karachi bleeding. They also lit candles to express solidarity with the families of those who suffered murders of their loved ones, TrendPK reported Sunday.

People representing NGOs, civil society, and all walks of life participated in a peaceful demonstration occurred at famous Liberty Chowke.

Protestors were carrying banners and placards, with slogans written on them demanding restoration of peace and stern action against terrorists in metropolis.

Later, they lit candles, showing solidarity with the bereaved families of victims who were killed during recent days of bloodbath in the port city. TrendPK

Musharraf will be received by CJ Pakistan upon his return: PM

Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani says former President Pervez Musharraf will be received by Chief Justice of Pakistan upon his return. He says Musharraf is accused in many cases.
While talking to media after visiting ailing PML-N leader Javed Hashmi at his home in Multan, PM said general elections are far away, however, Musharraf is welcomed to take part in By-Elections. He said State institutions are strong and Judiciary, Civil Society and Media are serving at their best. PM said flood affected families will soon be given an aid of one hundred thousand PKR each without any discrimination. He said Federal Govt.s budget has been freezed to the amount of last years budget and Provinces are also directed to do the same. PM vowed to build a new Pakistan after overcoming the disasters laid by flood.

Sindh’s 8 districts on high alert in view of potential floods

JACOBABAD: Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervez Ashraf has said emergency has been declared in eight districts of Sindh in view of potential floods, Geo News reported.

Talking to media here, he said there is not a huge threat of flood in Jacobabad and abutting areas but nevertheless, eight districts have been put on high alert and emergency has been declared there as a security measure.

Army and officials from irrigation department are engaged in protecting bunds, embankments and protective dikes in various areas of Sindh, he said.

Country is undergoing a massive human crisis at this juncture, worried he, urging political parties, NGOs, and Civil Society for relief and rehabilitation of flood affectees.

Ethnic clashes rage in Kyrgyzstan, 51 dead

OSH: Police and soldiers struggled Saturday to stop ethnic clashes in this Central Asian country that have killed more than 50 people, as gangs of armed young Kyrgyz men marched on Uzbek neighborhoods and fires raged throughout the city.

The official death toll has climbed to at least 51, while about 700 people have been wounded, the Health Ministry said. The real figures may be higher because doctors and human rights workers said ethnic Uzbeks were afraid to seek hospital treatment.

Thousands of ethnic Uzbeks were fleeing toward the nearby border with Uzbekistan.

The violence that broke out Friday in Osh, the country”s second-largest city, is the worst since former President Kurmanbek Bakiyev was toppled in a bloody uprising in April and fled the country.

It poses a decisive test of the provisional government”s ability to control the country, where the U.S. and Russia both have military air bases. The government needs stability to hold a June 27 vote on a new constitution and go ahead with elections for a new parliament in October.

The government declared a state of emergency in and around Osh and dispatched armored vehicles, troops and helicopters to pacify the situation. Fighting quieted down overnight but resumed with new strength Saturday. Much of central Osh was on fire, while homes in Uzbek neighborhood also burned.

“Young men in white masks are marauding and stealing from the remaining stores, offices and houses, and then setting them on fire,” said Bakyt Omorkulov, a member of the Coalition for Democracy and Civil Society, a non-governmental organization.

The interim government acknowledged that it was struggling to establish control.

“The situation in Osh remains very, very difficult,” Azimbek Beknazarov, an acting prime minister, told journalists in Bishkek, the capital. “We are doing everything we can, but there is no improvement yet.”

Police and residents said groups of young Kyrgyz men were streaming into Osh by road from other parts of the country and marching toward Uzbek neighborhoods. They were armed with metal bars and some had automatic weapons.

Omorkulov said ethnic Uzbeks in the Cheryomushki and Besh-Kuprik neighborhoods called to say their houses were on fire and they were terrified. “They called us and were sobbing into the phone, but what can we do?” Omorkulov said.

From the Osh airport, where hundreds of arriving passengers were stranded, fire from heavy machine guns and automatic weapons was heard as troops tried to gain control of roads into the city.

Aitzaz warns against striking down 18th Amendment

KARACHI: Prominent lawyer leader Aitzaz Ahsan warned the judiciary from striking down 18th Amendment said it would bring both the organs into confrontation.

Both houses of the Parliament passed the Amendment unanimously.

He was addressing a seminar organized by the Civil Society of Pakistan.

Aitzaz supported intra-party elections. Commenting on UN report, he said there was nothing startling in it because commission”s scope was limited and it can only raise questions. ”Local agencies should conduct inquiry into BB”s killing.”

Replying to a question regarding more provinces, PPP leader called for establishing a commission to decide about this controversial issue.

PML-N demands President Zardari’s resignation

LAHORE, Pakistan News : President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari must resign on the moral grounds, Khuwaja Asif, leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

All the NRO beneficiaries must resign from their posts including President Zardari. President Zardari can become President after getting clarification of his cases from the courts. The conditions of the country are worsening. There is only one constitutional way left for the country to have midterm elections in the current situation, he added.

The democracy has come in the country with the efforts of political workers, media, civil society and not through NRO, he added.

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PML-N demands President Zardari’s resignation was first posted on December 16, 2009 at 10:12 pm.

Efforts For Independent Judiciary: Iftkhar Ch

PAKISTAN, ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said media and civil society played the pivotal role in the success of lawyers’ movement but for the complete independence of judiciary and independent Pakistan, still more efforts are required.

Addressing the Islamabad Bar Association (IBA), Iftikhar said past government amended the constitution according to their vested interests and wills. “Judiciary endorsed the unconstitutional government and the situation today would be different only if judiciary avoided support of illegitimate government in past.”

“Print and electronic media took the bull by the horn by resisting the unconstitutional action of emergency imposed on November 3, 2007 by the then president,” he said and added, “Media, civil society and lawyers rendered unprecedented sacrifices and struggled as much as they could for the restoration of independent judiciary.”

“Now, no judge of Supreme Court (SC) and High Courts (HCs) will take oath against constitution”, CJP concluded.