Iran denies role in Syria crackdown

Iran s government has denied allegations it is playing a role in Syria s bloody crackdown on political opposition.  But reports in the international press continue to contend that Iran is helping Syria militarily.

Iran s Foreign Ministry spokesman, Ramin Mehmanparast, said that Tehran is “not intervening” to help Syria s government repress its people. e described as “baseless,” allegations from the European Union that the Quds Brigade of Iran s Revolutionary Guards is involved in the Syrian crackdown.

During a news conference last week, Mehmanparast urged other countries “not to intervene in Syria s internal political crisis.”

Reports in the Arab and international press have accused both Iran and its Lebanese ally, Hezbollah, of helping Syrian authorities deal with the popular uprising.

Former Iranian President Abolhassan Bani Sadr, now an exiled opponent of Iran s government, is among those who say Iran and Hezbollah are helping Syria in the crackdown.

He says the Iranian regime is helping Syria in every possible way.  He says he has information that 3,000 Iranian Revolutionary Guards and 2,200 Hezbollah fighters are working with the Syrian government.  But he contends that Saudi Arabia is also intervening in Syria – on the opposition side.

Hilal Khashan, who teaches political science at the American University of Beirut, says Iran is in fact starting to distance itself from the Syrian regime, anticipating that it may fall.  He notes that Iran s Foreign Minister, Ali Akbar Salehi, urged Syria last week to address its people s “legitimate demands.”

“The fact that the Iranians are beginning to talk to the Syrians and telling the regime to accommodate the  legitimate demands of the Syrian people  means that they are concluding that the regime in Damascus is unsalvageable. In the long run, the regime will collapse,” he said.

Khashan also says Iran has been trying to mend fences with the Gulf Arab states, perhaps as a prelude to a policy shift on Syria.  He notes that Iran s foreign minister met with the leader of Qatar last week to discuss developments in Syria.

“The Iranians are trying to find alternatives and that s why the Iranians are trying also to mend fences with the countries of the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council). A few days ago, the Emir of Qatar visited Tehran and the visit had to do with the beginning of the careful shift of the Iranian position vis-a-vis Syria,” Khashan stated.

Khashan says both Iran and neighboring Turkey are major regional power brokers, and that each country is working to change its policy toward Syria, slowly.  He says it s impossible for them to change their policy 180 degrees overnight, but that “they are preparing for it.”

28 dead in suicide attack in Iraq mosque

 A suicide bomber killed 28 people including a member of parliament and wounded 37 others at a Sunni mosque in western Baghdad on Sunday evening, an interior ministry official said

 ”A suicide bomber entered Umm al-Qura mosque and blew himself up, killing 28 people and wounding 37,” the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Among the dead were Khaled al-Fahdawi, an MP from western Anbar province allied with the Sunni-backed Iraqiya bloc, he said. Elderly men and children were also among the casualties.

The Umm al-Qura mosque, located in the Ghazaliyah neighbourhood, is the main headquarters of the Sunni Endowment, which is responsible for maintaining Sunni Muslim religious sites across Baghdad.

The head of the Umm al-Qura mosque is Ahmed Abdulghafur al-Samarrai, who is reputed for his sermons against violent extremism.

Sunday s attack came towards the end of the holy Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, just days before the Eid festival that follows it.

Militants assail NATO base in Afghanistan

The bomber detonated his explosives outside the gate of a base in Qalat, the capital of Zabul province, said Salim Ahsas, the southern regional head of the Afghan police. The gunmen then started shoot toward the base. One was killed, another was captured and the third escaped, Ahsas said.

No one else was killed, he said. The Interior Ministry said in a statement that three civilians were wounded one woman and two children.
The attack occurred on the same day that a government health worker and his driver were killed in a roadside bomb blast in the north.

Dr. Ahmad Jawed Karim and his driver hit an explosive as they were driving in Takhar province s Dahana Sangi district, the health ministry said in a statement.

In the south meanwhile, two international service members were killed one in an insurgent attack and the other in a bomb blast.
NATO forces said the service members died Sunday but did not provide further detail.

NATO typically waits for national authorities to identify their dead and provide details of fatal incidents.

The latest military death makes 78 international troops killed so far this month.

Turkey warns of continued Jerusalem settlement

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has issued a warning to the Israeli government of the repercussions of its continued settlement activity in occupied Jerusalem, saying that settlement construction “aims at changing the demographics of this sacred city”.

In a press release issued by the Turkish Foreign Ministry, it strongly condemned Tel Aviv s continued settlement policies in East Jerusalem highlighting the Israeli government s contradictory stance on the issue of peace. “On the one hand, Israel has decided to construct 900 settlement units in Har Homa in East Jerusalem, while on the other, it calls on the Palestinian side to return to the peace negotiations table”.

The press release called on the Israeli government to listen to the calls of the international community to halt “illegal settlement activity” in East Jerusalem, and all attempts to change the demographics of the city. It warned that the settlement policy undermines trust and weakens the peace efforts between the parties of the conflict.

NEPRA asked to take action against KESC

Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar has directed the NEPRA to take action against KESC for creating a crisis situation in Karachi. Talking to media in Islamabad, Qamar said that the ministry has other options, along with NEPRA Act, to take action against KESC.

He said that the country will face 2,500 MW shortfall in spite of full supply of oil and immediate halt in loadshedding was not possible but unscheduled loadshedding would be curtailed.

Task Force to curb Gray Traffic, unauthorised SIMs

A high level meeting was held in the Ministry of Interior under the chairmanship of Federal Minister for Interior, Senator Rehman Malik to examine the ways and means to curb Gray Traffic in Pakistan. Secretaries of Interior and Information Technology Ministries, Director General FIA, representatives of the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority and other government departments were present on the occasion. Different issues were discussed in the meeting including capacity of monitoring system which is presently only 30% and needs to go to the level of 100%. Ministry of Information Technology has been requested to pursue the matter for sanction of funds.

People have been advised that all those who have got more than the prescribed limits of SIMs should surrender immediately to PTA as a thorough scrutiny of the SIMs has been ordered and any body found in possession of those SIMs shall be proceeded with in accordance with the law.
It was decided in the meeting that the punishment/penalty for the violators would be enhanced from three years to seven years and fine from Rs. 10 million to Rs. 50 million besides making it non-bailable offence.

It was also decided that 20 million cash reward shall be given to anyone who will point out the Gray Traffic to the authorities and 10% of the recovery will also be given to the informer.

A Task Force has been announced whereby a team will be headed by Director, FIA Shahid Nadeem Baloch and sub task forces comprising of representatives from ISI, IB, PTA and local police will also be constituted.

The Task Force will submit, every fortnightly, report of their progress on the cases/raids to curb gray traffic.

It has also been decided by the Government that there will be zero tolerance for gray traffic in Pakistan and its progress/monitoring shall be jointly done by the Secretary Interior and Secretary Information Technology.

China evacuates 12,000 from Libya, sends frigate to help

SHANGHAI/BEIJING: China has so far evacuated 12,000, or about a third, of its citizens from turmoil in Libya, many of them workers for Chinese-run projects and businesses in the oil-rich nation, official media said on Friday.

PSO gives ultimatum to suspend supply over nonpayment of dues

According to officials, PSO is liable to pay Rs 40 billion to international suppliers and Rs 80 billion to local oil refineries. Volume of PSO circular debt has reached Rs 154 billion including RS 134 billion arrears of power sector. According to PSO officials, Ministry of Petroleum and Ministry of Finance have been informed in this regard but ministries concerned have not yet taken any step to solve the issue.

PSO officials have warned that they will block supply to HUBCO, WAPDA and KEPCO if 50 percent dues are not paid till February 14.

Nabeel Gabol Withdraw His Resignation

Breaking News trendpk: Former State minister for ports and shipping and senior member of Pakistan Peoples Party, Nabeel Gabol, who resigned from his ministry on Wednesday, withdraw his resignation after his meeting with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gillani on Friday.

Prime Minister assured that the concerns raised by Nabeel Gabol would be addressed. Although the state minister had cited some ‘personal reasons’ for resignation, the sources said he had withdraws his resignation after getting a cold response from the party leadership over his concerns and reservations regarding the working of his ministry.

After Gabol’s resignation on Wednesday, the police conducted a raid on his residence in the port city of Karachi and rounded up his 11 guards and his name was also added in Exit Control List (ECL) on the order of federal ministry. Nabeel Gabol came into Islamabad early on the morning today. On Benazir Bhutto International Airport, talking to media he said that I have some reservations and I will discuss that with party leadership. He further said that resignation from ministry doesn’t means that he is leaving the party, PPP is my party and I am a worker of this party since 26 years.

After the resignation of Nabeel Gabol the news came in the media that President Asif Zardari wants to elect his son Balawal Bhutto from the Lyari Town seat in the next election. It is to be remembered that Nabeel Gabol has a hold on Lyari Town area and Lyari seat is considered as his permanent seat.

India refuses to share Samjhauta probe details with Pakistan

NEW DELHI: India has refused to share details of the Samjhauhta bombing probe with Pakistan, TrendPK reported on Tuesday.

According to media reports, India’s Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has asked the External Affairs Ministry to tell Pakistan that it cannot share details of the Samjhauta blast investigations right now, as investigations are at a preliminary stage and it would be premature.

This comes a day after Pakistan asked India to provide an early update to it on the investigations into the 2007 Samjhauta Express train bombing in the wake of RSS leader Swami Aseemanand’s confession about the involvement of Sangh activists in the attack.

India’s acting Deputy High Commissioner G V Srinivas was called to the Foreign Office by Director General (South Asia) Afrasiab Mehdi Hashmi, who said information on progress in the investigations should be provided by New Delhi “at the earliest”.

Aseemanand, 59, recently confessed to the involvement of Sangh activists in several terrorist attacks, including the bombing of the Samjhauta Express that killed as many as 68 people, including 42 Pakistan nationals.

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