Local bodies elections may be held in 2012

Secretary Election Commission called on the Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani and apprised him on the preparation of reforms being undertaken by the Election Commission of Pakistan to ensure fair, transparent and credible elections in the country.

He mentioned the Election Commission of Pakistan Strategic Plan 2010-14 which has been prepared in consultation with all the stakeholders including all political parties, civil society and media. He informed the prime minister that the Computerized Electoral Rolls are being prepared in collaboration with NADRA and current door to door verification throughout Pakistan is underway until September 2011, and that final Computerized Electoral Rolls will be ready by April 2012.

Secretary Election Commission thanked the prime minister for extending full support to make Election Commission of Pakistan autonomous, independence and also to implement reforms agenda.

Regarding the Local Bodies Elections, the Secretary informed the Prime Minister that after the 18 Amendment, holding of Local Bodies Elections were also the responsibility of Election Commission of Pakistan and the Provincial Governments are being asked to make necessary legislation in this regard so that Elections could be held accordingly.

The Prime Minister appreciated the efforts being made by the Election Commission of Pakistan under the guidance of Chief Election Commissioner Justice (Retd) Hamid Ali Mirza in order to complete the reforms agenda.

The Prime Minister also directed that instructions should be issued to all the Ministries/Divisions to prepare a strategic plan for five years on the pattern of election Commission of Pakistan so that all Ministries have goals/objectives and sense of direction.

In terms of good governance, the Prime Minister observed that there was a need to create a mechanism at Prime Minister’s Secretariat to remove the disconnect between the national institutions of the state so they sit together and find out solutions pertaining to security, strategic issues and good governance. The Prime Minister said local bodies’ elections may be held in 2012 after the finalization of Computerized Electoral Rolls in April 2012.

Nawaz unsatisfied with Govts delivery

Lashing out at the incumbent government over prevailing crises, PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif has said that the governments governance is unsatisfactory, trendpk.com reported on Thursday.

Talking to media in Lahore, Nawaz maintained, Instead of ending power loadshedding, the government has started gas outages. He asserted that problems arise to be resolved; adding that Preisndet Zardari has not replied to his letter as yet.

Had action been taken against corruption, such situation would not have emerged, Nawaz added. He said that he did not take any decision under any whim, we have an ideology and we follow a certain thinking pattern, he affirmed. The dictators had always been resorting to undemocratic ways but now such action should be stopped, the PML-N chief said.

Opposition is not anti-Govt, claims Gilani

I have not given the government in charity; the whole House gave me the vote of confidence, said Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday while addressing the federal cabinet.

Gilani said changes in the cabinet were unavoidable, adding that more decisions will be taken in order to ensure good governance.

The Premier maintained that the Opposition motions by the government The cabinet was also considering the governments strategy on the Reformed General Sales Tax (RGST).Referring to the sacked ministers’ issue, Gilani said that both the federal minister were dismissed for their mudslinging at each other in media.

On Tuesday, Prime Minister Gilani sacked Religious Affairs Minist
er Hamid Saeed Kazmi who was under scrutiny over mismanagement in this years Haj arrangements, and Science and Technology Minister Mohammad Azam Khan Swati, who submitted a statement in the Supreme Court alleging Kazmi of corruption.

British Govt. announces changes on student visas

Overseas students in Britain wanting to stay on and look for work after their courses end will no longer be able to do so under government plans to restrain immigration laid out yesterday; where as the English language test for the visas will also be more strict from now on.

Hundreds of thousands of overseas students study at British universities each year, mostly from the Asian region, with numbers reaching record levels in 2009. The government wants to tighten controls on entry visas for overseas students to address concerns that illegal immigrants are using them as an easy way to get into the country. Immigration Minister Damian Green said that this government wants high caliber students with the genuine desire to study to come to our country for temporary periods, and then return home. An overhaul of the student visa system would reduce the number of people entering Britain to study below degree level, as well as toughen English language requirements and limit students rights to work.

Attracting talented students from abroad is vital to the UK but we must be more selective about who can come here and how long they can stay. Too many students coming to study at below degree level have been coming here to live and work. We need to stop this abuse, he added. The student route currently accounts for two-thirds of migrants entering the country each year. If the governments proposals are passed, students will have to leave the country and apply for a new visa to further their studies.

Peace in Balochistan is pivotal: Nawaz

QUETTA: Pakistan Muslims League-Nawaz Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif said that the peace in Balochistan is essential, adding that the unrest in the province will not bring the prosperity in other parts of the country.

During the press conference on Saturday he alleged that the present government has not fulfilled its promises and, he added, the law and order situation in the country is worsening.

“Nawab Akbar Bugti was killed and such situation occurs whenever there is dictatorship. “

He claimed that the development work was at its peak during his governments. “The tax payers and tax collectors are destroying the country. The government should bring change in the existing institutions,” he demanded.

Nawaz Sharif said that Indian prime minister visited Pakistan during his government. He bitterly criticized the present foreign policy. Trend Pk

US Worried at New WikiLeaks’ Release

WASHINGTON: The United States is concerned about a big dumping of classified documents by WikiLeaks which is expected to include diplomatic cables.

“We are gearing up for the worst-case scenario, that leaked cables will touch on a wide range of issues and countries,” Crowley told media.

The spokesman added that “we’ve known all along that WikiLeaks has in its possession State Department cables.”

“We are prepared if this upcoming tranche of documents includes State Department cables. We are in touch with our posts around the world. They have begun the process of informing governments that a release of documents is possible in the near future,” Crowley said.

He said that diplomatic cables, messages between US posts around the world, “involve discussions that we had with government officials, with private citizens.”

“Inherent in this day-to-day action is trust that we can convey our perspectives to other governments in confidence,” he said. Breaking that confidence “has an impact.”

“These revelations… are going to create tensions on our relationships between our diplomats and our friends around the world,” he said.

Pentagon spokesman Colonel Dave Lapan said that US officials were expecting a possible release of documents “late this week or early next week.”

“I’m not going to talk specifics but I would say that even though they are believed to be State Department documents, classified cables, there are some that contain DoD (Department of Defense) related issues.

WikiLeaks has not said what will be contained in its coming release, indicating only that it will be “seven times” the Iraq War logs in which it posted 400,000 secret documents.

A new posting would mark WikiLeaks’ third mass release of classified documents after it published 77,000 secret US files on the Afghan conflict in July.

WikiLeaks argues the release of the documents, US-soldier authored incident reports from 2004 to 2009, has shed light on the wars, including allegations of torture by Iraqi forces and reports that suggested 15,000 additional civilian deaths in Iraq.

WikiLeaks’ announcement Monday came just days after Sweden issued an international arrest warrant for the website’s head, Australian national Julian Assange, wanted for questioning related to rape and sexual molestation accusations.

Four government nominees for judicial commission

The names of four governments nominees for the eight-member judicial commission have been finalized, News Trends reported on Tuesday.
All the four members belong to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and no member has been nominated from the coalition parties. According to the presidential spokesman the names have been finalized after the recommendations sent to the President by the Prime Minister. The four nominees include Senator Nayyer Bukhari from Punjab, Sabir Baloch from Baluchistan, Aftab Shaiban Mirani from Sindh and Asma Arbab Alamgir from KhyberPakhtunkhwa. The spokesman also said that the nominated members belong to all the four provinces of the country while women representation has also been ensured.

Responding to the nominations, spokesman of ANP Senator Zahid Khan said that the advisors of the government are misguiding the government. He further said that even if ANP did not ask for representation in the commission but still they could have been consulted before the nominations.

Talking on the issue JUI (f)s Chief Maulana Fazal-ul-Rehman said that the government is taking unpopular decisions and that the nominations for the judicial commission could not be trusted.

On the other hand leader of MQM Senator Babar Khan Ghouri said that the government has made a one-party commission instead of a parliamentary commission.

Barack Obama Trip to India

WASHINGTON, Barack Obama Trip to India: A day after his party suffered a huge setback at the polls in the US midterm congressional elections, US President Barack Obama spoke about his upcoming visit to India.

He told the Press Trust of India wire service that issues such as India’s bid for a permanent seat on the UN Security Council and its desire for the US to relax export controls on dual-use technologies are “very difficult and complicated.”

The president’s comments about the UNSC will throw a bit of cold water on speculation that the president was planning to use the trip to announce U.S. backing for India’s permanent presence on the panel and may be discouraging to the foreign policy establishment in New Delhi.

Obama said he supports “India’s rise as a global power” and called Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh “one of the most extraordinary leaders I have met.

The president said he expected to make big-ticket announcements in India, but the PTI report didn’t include any specifics. Commercial deals in sectors such as aviation and transportation are likely.

The two nations’ stalled civil nuclear energy partnership will be a hot topic. Obama said the U.S. has concerns about India’s recently passed nuclear liability law and the governments of the two countries are working together to resolve them.

India is hopeful the U.S. will relax its export restrictions on several high-tech products with both peaceful and military uses, but Mr. Obama’s comments indicated there are complex negotiations underway on that.

“Our teams continue to work hard to reach an agreement that strengthens the international non-proliferation system while treating India in a manner that is consistent with our strategic partnership.

Barrack Obama Pledges to Work Sincerely With Republicans

The US President Barrack Hussain Obama has said that he would try his best to work sincerely with the republicans. The US President also accepted his governments role in the slow economic progress of the country.

Speaking at a press conference after a clear defeat in the Congress, the US President said that even if the republicans aspire to reform his economic policies he would not feel hesitant in changing them. The US President also said that although many citizens have not been feeling positive changes in the economy but still hopes should never die-out.

He said that keeping politics away, the republicans and the democrats should work together for the betterment of the country. Barrack Hussain Obama was of the view that mere tax reductions are not enough; infact deficits, loans, debts and expenditures should be given consideration to revive the staggering economy.

Faisalabad: Industries defy Govts gas loadshedding plan

Over 1,500 industries have rejected Governments three-day gas suspension plan and resumed functioning on Tuesday.
The Sui Northern Gas Company (SNGC) restricted Faisalabads industries, under load management scheme, to avoid the gas usage from Monday to Wednesday.The industrialists of Faisalabad obeyed the restriction for one day only and kept all industries closed on the first day of the gas break, Monday, but on the second day of the break, Tuesday, they reopened industries after rejecting three days gas beak scheme of SNGC. The industrialists were of the view that they are ready to observe only one days break every week but cannot follow the three days closure, which causes millions of rupees loss to their industries while thousands of workers suffer a lot for losing their daily wages.

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