LeJ has made reconciliation offer: Rehman

Staff Report

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that banned sectarian outfit Laskhar-e-Jhangvi has made an offer of reconciliation.

Speaking to reporters at NADRA Headquarters in Islamabad today, he said the government is ready to reconcile with Lashkar-e-Jhangvi only if the militant outfit lays down its arms.

He said that Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed would be put behind bars if he was found involved in militancy. SAMAA

At least 60 hospitalized after Mumbai gas leak

MUMBAI: At least 60 people were taken to hospital on Wednesday after a leak of chlorine gas in a sprawling industrial district of the Indian city of Mumbai, emergency services said.

Mumbai Fire Brigade chief fire officer Uday Tatkare said the leak happened in the Sewri area of the city owned by the Mumbai Port Trust.

“One of three cylinders stored in a courtyard at a warehouse owned by the Trust leaked. The leakage has been brought under control and we are in damage control mode,” he told foreign news agency by telephone from the scene. Four firefighters who were sent to the scene were among those in hospital but were in a stable condition, he added.

A total of 58 people were taken to the state-run hospital for treatment for “breathlessness, suffocation and nausea”, a spokesman said. Eight were in a critical condition in intensive care, he added.

India once again blames ISI for Mumbai attacks

NEW DELHI: The Indian government has said it has fresh evidence based on the interrogation of 26/11 accused David Headley to show that Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Lashkar-e-Toiba’s Hafiz Saeed played a “much more significant” role in planning and executing the terrorist attack on Mumbai than was earlier known.

In the first official statement on the interrogation of Headley, Indian Home Secretary G K Pillai said it was now clear that both the ISI and Saeed were involved in the Mumbai attacks from the beginning till the end. Headley made several visits to India and is accused of scouting targets for the attacks.

Faisal Shahzad’s links traced to SWA: Rehman

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik Wednesday revealed that Faisal Shahzad, presently by the US for carrying out a failed bid to blow a fireball in Times Square on May 1, had links in South Waziristan.

Talking to media men here, Rehman Malik said investigations into Faisal Shahzad case are presently underway. However, he added, that no one has so far been arrested.

“Faisal Shahzad had links in South Waziristan and his accounts are in focus for investigation,” the Interior Minister told the reporters.

He said the government honors the decision of the Supreme Court regarding Hafiz Saeed and urged the Indian authorities to accord similar respect to the verdicts of Pakistani courts. “We had also honored the Indian courts’ decision against Ajmal Kasab,” he said.

Rehman called for a joint struggle against terrorism by Pakistan, India and Afghanistan.

35 prospective players announced for Asia Cup and England

Star all-rounder Shahid Afridi has been nominated to lead Pakistan during the Asia Cup and Pakistans tour to England.
The Selection Committee of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) met in Gaddafi stadium Lahore and announced 35 prospective players for the upcoming tournaments including Asia Cup and English tour.
Younis Khan, Shoiab Malik and Shaoib Akhtar have been included in the squad while, Misbahul Haq, former skipper Muhammad Yousaf and pacer Sohail Tanveer have been dropped from the squad.
PCB Chairman Ijaz Butt informed that former skipper Yousaf has taken retirement and is coaching Canada these days. He also said that the management will not tolerate any violation of discipline.

SC backs release of Hafiz Saeed

India has expressed disappointment on the verdict of Supreme Court to release the Lashkar-e-Taiba leader Hafiz Mohammad Saeed. India’s Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao has said that India has given sufficient evidence to Pakistan about the Lashkars alleged role in the 26/11 attacks on Indian financial capital Mumbai.
Rao was speaking to the media persons at New Delhi where she said that ordinary Indians would share that sense of disappointment at this latest development, because India regard Hafiz Saeed as one of the masterminds of the Mumbai terror attacks.
Earlier Supreme Court also dismissed the an application jointly filed by the Federal government and Punjab government. The court maintained that the government authorities have failed to provide sufficient evidence against Hafiz Saeed.

SC directs for report on implementation of NRO verdict

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) asked Federal Law Minister Dr. Babar Awan to submit a concise report on the presence of $60 million in Swiss cases and the implementation of court’s ruling on National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), Geo News reported Tuesday.

The government told the court that no case was filed against President Asif Ali Zardari in Switzerland. According to record, only the investigations were conducted in Swiss court; however, the action was unilateral.

A five-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk is hearing the case.

As the court proceedings make headway, Federal Law Minister Dr. Babar Awan apprised the Supreme Court (SC) of the government steps taken up in connection with the implementation of court’s verdict on National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO).

Several federal ministers including Qamaruz Zaman Kaira, Federal Minister for Water and Power Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, Ayatullah Durrani, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, the PM’s advisor Latif Khosa and other PPP leaders including Presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar were present in the courtroom.

Awan was summoned by the court to explain the reasons for the delay in the implementation of the court’s verdict on NRO.

The federal law minister said the government is not using the delaying tactics for implementing the NRO verdict.

The federal law minister said the summary for reference against former Attorney General Malik Qayyum has been sent to Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani.

Two National Accountability Bureau (NAB) courts have been sanctioned to be constituted in Islamabad, he informed the court.

The number of prosecutors of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) is being aggrandized, the federal Law Minister informed the apex court adding the amazing facts will be uncovered, if the documents regarding the former AG is presented.

‘We have removed the Prosecutor General and two NAB courts are being constituted,’ he added.

He told the court nine steps regarding the NRO verdict implementation case; however, rules of business are the stumbling block in the way for the 10th step.

There is no Swiss case against President Zardari, as only unilateral action was undertaken there, he informed the court.

Responding Justice Jawwad S Khawja regarding steps on retrieving $60 million at Swiss banks, Babar Awan said the Swiss magistrate did not have the matter and the issue was exaggeratingly stated.

Justice Raja Fayyaz asked, ‘Who owned the money frozen by Swiss officials?’ Awan replied, ‘I don’t know.’

At the end of hearing, the Law Minister pleaded the court to give three-week time, as he is going abroad for some personal business.

Later on, the hearing was adjourned for two weeks till June 10, after the court asked the law minister to submit concise response.

Talking to media after the hearing, the Law Minister said all the rumours of clash died out, adding no clash among the institutions ever happened; nor is there any possibility for the same in future.

‘I brought to the fore some new facets to the case during hearing, which I cannot tell being out of the courtroom,’ he maintained adding he would not comment upon judicial proceedings out of the courtroom.

‘Court ordered the Attorney General to appear before the court in my stead in the next hearing,’ he said.

He said the government fulfilled its legal and constitutional responsibilities and acted upon all the rulings by the judiciary, examples of which are LNG case and the case regarding appointments in bureaucracy.

Qamaurz Zaman Kaira said, ‘We are with the government and came to see the court’s proceedings,’ adding the matter relating $60 million was controversial and baseless.

Lake likely to outpour today till Thursday

HUNZA: The outpouring from the landslide-generated Lake is expected from today till Thursday, as the rising water stands still at six feet from the spillway, Geo News reported Tuesday.

The helicopter service is in progress to evacuate the stranded people present on each bank of the Lake. At least six copters are busy with transportation of the relief goods as well as the evacuation of the people stranded in Hunza, Gilgit and Gojal.

Three helicopters arrived in Gilmat with relief goods including food for the affected people. At least 4200-kilogram relief goods have thus far been transported since today’s morning.

Meantime, Ata Abad Lake water is persistently on the go spreading in the low-lying areas of Phisso, causing to maintain the gap between Lake level and the spillway at six feet.

SC dismisses pleas against Hafiz Saeed release

ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) upheld the verdict of Lahore High Court (LHC) by dismissing the petitions filed by the federal and Punjab governments against chief of outlawed Jamaatud Dawah Hafiz Saeed, Geo News reported Tuesday.

A three-member SC bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk heard the petitions challenging the LHC’s ruling regarding release of Hafiz Saeed.

The judges said in their remarks that no citizen could be deprived of his freedom on presumptions, as no solid proof was presented regarding Saeed’s links with Al-Qaeda or his involvement in Mumbai attacks.

Rehman Malik, We are the best and we doing our best

Islamabad, Pakistan:- Federal Minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Wednesday vowed to eradicate terrorists from the country and improve the security of education institutes.

Talking to media in Islamabad, he said 300 civil security guards would be provided to the public schools in the federal capital and “community policing” project would be promoted. “Taliban are working on payroll, we will eliminate them, the whole world knows we are fighting great against terrorism, we are the best and we are doing our best,” Malik added. Ridiculing Indian threats he said India was in a state of paranoia, adding that Pakistan did not fear such threats as it was facing 9/11 everyday. He urged India to stop intervening in Balochistan accusing it responsible for violence in the province. Malik said Pakistan could not arrest any of its citizen on Indian demands, adding that no action could be taken against Hafiz Saeed without any concrete evidence.

Commenting on Iran suicide attack issue, Rehman Malik said Islamabad had told Iran that Abdul Malik Regi was not present in Pakistan. “He is in Afghanistan and we have provided them all the information about him,” he added. Malik assured Iran that Pakistan’s soil would not be used against any of its neighbor.

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Rehman Malik, We are the best and we doing our best was first posted on October 21, 2009 at 9:10 pm.

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