SC Orders Prisoners-relatives Meeting

ISLAMABAD, News Trends: The Supreme Court (SC) today ordered the counsel for the intelligence agencies to arrange a meeting between the eleven prisoners and their relatives after it was known that they have been under the custody of intelligence agencies.

Later, the hearing was adjourned till first week of January 2011.

A counsel for country’s sensitive agency on Thursday apprised the apex court that eleven missing prisoners of Adyala Jail had been arrested along with a number of terrorists from their hideouts in Army operational areas.

Raja Muhammad Irshad, counsel for Federation, Pakistan Army, Inter-Services Intelligence, Intelligence Bureau, Military Intelligence, told a three-member bench consisting of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Ghulam Rabbani and Justice Khalilur Rehman Ramday that after Court’s direction a massive operation was launched and more than 20 terrorists including these eleven people had been arrested in the operational areas.

He said they were in safe and secure hands and would be charged under Army Act. He assured the court that their trial would be held in General Field Court Martial in accordance with law.

Thai protesters clash with riot police

BANGKOK: Thousands of anti-government demonstrators clashed with Thai police and military troops trying to prevent them from leaving from the capital”s commercial district Tuesday to stage protests elsewhere in Bangkok.

The demonstrators pushed against police lines and pelted the riot squads with eggs and plastic water bottles along a tree-lined boulevard in front of the Four Seasons Hotel.

Protest leaders have defied a government order to vacate the commercial heart of Bangkok as they try to pressure Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva to relinquish power.

They vowed Tuesday to stage convoys through 11 main city roads the administration has declared off-limits to them.

“We will teach the government a lesson that every road belongsto the people,”” said a protest leader, Nattawut Saikua. About 1,000 riot police and soldiers faced off against a similar number of protesters as luxury hotels in the area barricaded their doors.

Sri Lanka”s ex-army chief returns to court martial

COLOMBO: The court martial of Sri Lanka”s former army chief resumed Tuesday, two days before parliamentary elections at which he is a candidate, a military official said.

Sarath Fonseka, who has been in detention since February 8, appeared at the hearing in the tightly-guarded naval headquarters in Colombo.

“General Fonseka is at the hearing which re-opened this morning into allegations that he was involved in politics while in uniform,” the official said, without giving further details. Fonseka will face a second set of charges later Tuesday on alleged corrupt military procurements.

The general denies all charges and says they are part of a political vendetta against him. Fonseka, 59, who led the military to victory over the Tamil Tiger rebels last year, fell out with President Mahinda Rajapakse and unsuccessfully tried to unseat him in elections in January.

Ex-Army Chief to Face Sri Lanka Court Martial

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka’s former army chief and defeated presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka will face a court martial for ‘military offences’, an official said on Tuesday.

Fonseka, who was arrested by military police at his campaign office on Monday night, has been moved to an undisclosed military establishment ahead of court martial proceedings, the military official said.

“He will face a court martial even though he is not a serving officer,” said the official, who declined to be named. “The military law applies up to six months from the date of retirement of any officer.”

Fonseka, who lost to President Mahinda Rajapakse in the January 26 election, was arrested hours after he vowed to give evidence at any international probe into alleged war crimes committed by troops in the final stages of fighting against Tamil Tiger rebels last year.

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Ex-Army Chief to Face Sri Lanka Court Martial was first posted on February 9, 2010 at 3:50 pm.

Attack on Sheikh Rasheed, 2 killed

RAWALPINDI, Pakistan News: Awami Muslim League’s chief Shiekh Rasheed escaped unhurt in an apparent attempt on his life here Monday in which two others were killed and three wounded.

Rasheed, who is contesting the bye-polls at NA-55 scheduled to be held later this month, was visiting one of his election offices in downtown city when unknown armed men targeted him, said a spokesman of his residence Lal Haweli.

Two people present at the office were killed in the firing while three others injured who were rushed to nearby hospital, it was reported.

Rasheed narrowly escaped the attempt on his life and remained unhurt, the spokesman said.

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Attack on Sheikh Rasheed, 2 killed was first posted on February 8, 2010 at 6:33 pm.

Sri Lanka’s election loser Gen Fonseka arrested

Gen Fonseka was defeated by incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa last month by six million votes to four million.

Gen Fonseka rejected the results and vowed to challenge them in court.

The government has been seeking legal advice to bring a court martial against the general on charges of plotting to overthrow the administration.

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Sri Lanka’s election loser Gen Fonseka arrested was first posted on February 8, 2010 at 9:35 pm.