PM says no clash with army leadership

TrendPK.com

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has once again dismissed the impression of civilian government’s clash with military leadership over the memogate scandal, saying that he declared army statements illegal under ‘specific circumstances’, TrendPK reports.

The PM had termed ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘illegal’ the statements of army and ISI chiefs submitted to Supreme Court in memo scandal case.

“I want to rule out this impression being taken from my statement that Mr. Kayani and Mr. Pasha’s affidavits were illegal. I said that under some specific circumstances and now the situation is clear to all,” Gilani said while talking to newsmen at Islamabad airport before leaving for Davos-Klosters, Switzerland to attend annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF).

He was accompanied by Finance Minister Hafeez Sheikh, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Senator Abbas Afridi. TrendPK

ANP to celebrate Independence Day in KPK on Aug 15

PESHAWAR: For the first time in the history of Pakistan, Awami National Party (ANP) has announced to celebrate Independence Day in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on August 15 by hoisting the national flag at the highest point in Peshawar, TrendPK reported late Sunday.

It is pertinent to mention here that the rival country of Pakistan, India will be celebrating the Independence Day on Monday, August 15. Besides, Kashmiris will be observing India’s Independence Day as ‘Black Day’.

Meanwhile, ANP leader and provincial Secretary Information Arbad Tahir, clarifying the impression, has said that due to security arrangements, the hoisting of the flag was delayed till Monday, August 15.

He said that the function may further be extended till August 16 or 17 if security agencies fail to issue security clearance.

Also, PPP’s leader Nabil Gabool, has requested the ANP leadership to change the date of celebrations, citing the past issues in connection with Ramazan and Eid’s moon sighting.

He said the government officials might have mistakenly set this date sans consent of ANP government.

He said if this is a bid for setting a trend then PPP will see the incident as ‘worrying’.

PML-N’s leader Ahsan Iqbal deplored the decision, saying that PM Gilani should immediately take notice and should order directives of cancelation of celebrations on August 15. TrendPK

India refused to take US dictation on Kashmir: WikiLeaks

An Indian newspaper, quoting WikiLeaks, published that India did not want US intervention on the Kashmir issue.

India also stopped Joe Biden from visiting India on the tour he was scheduled to visit Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iraq. India considered that Biden’s visit to India along with Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq would give the impression that India too was a country of the level of Afghanistan and Iraq.

Weeks before the Obama administration appointed Richard Holbrooke as the Special Representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan, New Delhi sent a message to the United States that any move to include India in Holbrooke’s mendate would be “unacceptable.”

In April 2008, former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi told US Assistant Secretary of State Richard A Boucher that India-Pakistan relations could not be held hostage to the issue of Kashmir alone.

He told Boucher that the considered view of his party was that foreign policy should be based on strategic interests, not populism. The minister termed Nawaz Sharif’s approach as aggressive and said: “Our direction may be the same, but our tone may be different. We will have to be sensitive to public opinion.”

Sharif is more in line with the popular mood, said Qureshi during the meeting.

Shakira confirms romance with Pique

BOGOTA: Colombian pop star Shakira on Tuesday confirmed her romantic relationship with Spanish footballer Gerard Pique through a message on her Twitter account.

“I present to you my sunshine … Shak,” the 34-year-old singer wrote in the message accompanying a photo of the smiling pair.

Shakira and the 24-year-old Barcelona center-back became the focus of intense media attention earlier this month when gossip magazines published photographs of the couple holding hands and kissing in Barcelona.

In January, Shakira announced the end of her 11-year relationship with Antonio de la Rua of Argentina.

Shakira”s wildly popular “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)” was the official song of the FIFA World Cup 2010 in South Africa, won by Spain.

Pique, a member of the World Cup team, told a March 3 press conference at Barca”s training center that he prefers to just talk football.

Quizzed on his private life, he said: “I”d like it if people only talked about me from a sporting perspective but I get the impression that, ultimately, it”s inevitable.” (AFP)

Religious leaders criticize terror attacks

Staff Report

KARACHI: Renowned religious cleric, Mufti Naeem, says that a third hand is involved in the recent wave of terrorist attacks in the country.

He dispelled the impression that there is any dispute between Shias and Sunnis in the country. “Miscreants are trying to give the recent attacks on mourning processions in Karachi, Lahore and Quetta sectarian color. It is condemnable and is failure of the government,” he said.

Mufti Naeem appealed to all religious leaders to come out and hold a rally against the menace of terrorism in the country.

“This is not sectarian violence. Shias and Sunnis are brothers. This is the failure of the government and intelligence agencies,” said Allama Abbas Kumaili.

Speaking to SAMAA on the phone, he said the government and its intelligence agencies know where these terrorists are hiding.

“It is a

HEC probe finds 29 lawmakers faked degrees

ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission (HEC) said Tuesday that at least 29 MPs lied about their academic qualifications as part of an inquiry into allegations that hundreds of lawmakers faked their degrees.

“We have so far received 511 degrees from different universities for verification out of which 452 have been declared genuine while 29 are fake,” said Dr. S. Mahmood Raza, Head of a three-member Review Committee constituted by the commission for verification of the degrees at a press briefing here.

He said that after verification, 29 degrees of members of the parliament (MPs) have been found fake. He also told the media persons that 27 universities have sent their response to the HEC so far and the commission is waiting for the confirmation of degrees from nine universities including Punjab University (PU), University of Balochistan, Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai University and University of Engineering Technology (UET).

The official shrugged away the impression of any pressure from any quarter for verification of degrees.

Most of the universities have sent the verification of degrees, which the commission would receive on Wednesday (tomorrow), he said and added that four degrees from foreign universities have also been received by the HEC which are not recognised universities.

Raza said the commission would send the report after the verification of educational qualification of the MPs to the National Assembly Standing Committee on Education till July 16.

Earlier, the commission had announced that it has given a deadline of July 13 to all the universities to send back the degrees after verification but the universities have failed to follow the deadline and the commission is yet to receive the degrees from the major universities.

SAARC members pledge cooperation against terrorism

ISLAMABAD: The 3rd SAARC conference of Ministers for Interior/Home here on Saturday passed resolutions for regional cooperation against terrorism and smuggling while India stressed effective multilateral cooperation to tackle terrorism, declaring it ‘biggest challenge to the region’.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik presided over the SAARC moot which paid particular focus to steps for cooperation towards efforts aimed at crushing terrorism and eliminating smuggling of narcotics.

At the outset, Rehman Malik highlighted the aims and objectives of the conference and spelt out Pakistan’s policy the central point of which was to seek regional cooperation to address the challenges at hand.

Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram pointed out that terrorism is wearing away regional cooperation besides denting its economic development. All the conventions adopted against terrorism under the banner of SAARC must be honored, he added, underscoring the need for adoption of international convention against terrorism.

The Indian Home Minister also emphasized exchange of actionable intelligence for protection against the risks of terrorist plots and activities.

The moot passed resolutions seeking cooperation against terrorism, money laundering and human smuggling.

Babar using cash to build anti-CJ lawyers lobby: Nawaz

SIALKOT: Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) chief Mian Nawaz Sharif Saturday alleged that Law Minister Babar Awan is out on a mission with a brief case full of money to build a lobby of lawyers against the Chief Justice.

Addressing a public gathering here, Nawaz Sharif said, ‘President Asif Zardari arranged for the safe exit of Musharraf under an understanding’.

Coming out strongly against the government, he said the government is shirking its responsibility to act upon the judiciary’s rulings.

Addressing a public gathering here, he said the government is all intent on evading the verdicts of the judiciary, stressing upon it to fall in with the court orders.

‘If the government fails to do so, we will force it to capitulate to the judiciary.’

Urging the government to take action against violators of the Constitution, Nawaz said the nation wants the dictators to be dragged to the dock; adding, ‘However, we noticed harmony between Former President Gen (rtd) Pervez Musharraf and President Zardari; accordingly, the former was accorded the safe exit abroad.’

He said with added force that Pervez Musharraf was shown out under an understanding, adding an action similar to the one taken against General Stanley McChrystal should have been taken against Musharraf.

It is wrong to extend immunity to one or the other under deals of understanding, he added requesting the courts to take suo motu notice of such issues.

He continued, ‘People responsible for the wrongdoings and injustices should be brought before the courts.’

Negating the impression that he is playing a role of friendly opposition, he said, ‘Had it been a friendly opposition, there would not have been any long march. It was lawyers who finalized the date for Long March, which we supported and helped the reinstatement of the judges thanks to the Long March.’

Samsam rules out any strife b/w govt, judiciary

OKARA: State Minister for Information Samsam Bukhari Sunday rubbished the impression of having any conflict between the government and judiciary, saying there was no dispute in the past nor will there be in future.

Addressing a press conference here, he said Pakistan Muslim League-N Chief Nawaz Sharif still meets with Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani and the former can also call on President Asif Ali Zardari whenever he wishes to do so.

He said the government will leave no stone unturned for extending help to the Hunza affectees.

Samsam Bukhari said Pakistan’s nuclear programme warrants country’s integrity.

As oil spill grew, BP”s credibility faded

LONDON: At nearly every step since the Deepwater Horizon exploded more than a month ago, causing the worst oil spill in U.S. history, rig operator BP PLC has downplayed the severity of the catastrophe in the Gulf of Mexico.

On almost every issue — the amount of gushing oil, the environmental impact, even how to stop the leak — BP”s statements have proven wrong. The erosion of the company”s credibility may prove as difficult to stop as the oil spewing from the sea floor.

“They keep making one mistake after another. That gives the impression that they”re hiding things,” said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Florida Democrat who has been critical of BP”s reluctance to publicly release videos of the underwater gusher. “These guys either do not have any sense of accountability to the public or they are Neanderthals when it comes to public relations.”

Take one of the most obvious questions since the April 20 explosion: How much oil is leaking? Official estimates have grown steadily — first the word was none, then it was 42,000 gallons, then 210,000 gallons. And now a team of scientists say the leak may well be five times that, making the spill worse than the Exxon Valdez.

All the while, BP has been slow to acknowledge the leak was likely much worse than the public had been told.

The oil giant”s behavior has led to accusations that it has been motivated to keep the leak estimate low because under federal law the size of eventual fines is tied to the size of the leak.

Nelson said that he believes BP has delayed release of everything from the actual flow rate to the videos because of a federal law that allows the government to seek penalties of $1,000 to $4,300 per barrel — 42 gallons — of oil spilled in U.S. waters. “And so naturally they want to minimize what people were thinking they were going to spill.”

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