Missing prisoners meet their families in AG office

 

The missing detainees of Adiala jail were produced before a three-member bench of the Supreme Court of Pakistan headed by Chief Iftikhart Muhamamd Chaudhry as it resumed haring on Monday.

 

The bench ordered the detainees to be handed over to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and their families to be allowed to meet them. The court said the secretary would be responsible for food medical treatment and security of the prisoners and they would not be shifted to Parachinar.

 

The bench also ordered that a panel of doctors be formed to look after the health of the detainees.
 

PM indicted in contempt case, denies charges

 

A seven-member bench of the Supreme Court headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk and comprising Justice Asif Saeed Khan Khosa, Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmani, Justice Ijaz Afzal Khan, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Justice Gulzar Ahmed and Justice Athar Saeed heard the case.

 

Earlier, the Supreme Court indicted Gilani for not implementing the court orders.

 

PM Gilani arrived in the Supreme Court amid tight security arrangements.

 

Aitzaz Ahsan has informed the court that he needs time until February 24 for filing the answers to the charges against the Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

 

Earlier, the prime minister denied the charges after the charge sheet was read out to him. The PM said he has understood the charges and denies them.

 

Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk said that judges may not be available on February 24.

 

Afghan forces kill two Pakistanis

Some two dozen Afghan security force officers crossed the border on Friday and kidnapped the two Pakistanis, taking them back into Afghanistan, secretary of tribal affairs Naseebullah Bazai told AFP.

 

“Two Pakistanis were taken away by Afghan forces and shot dead inside Afghanistan,” Bazai said, adding that the government had called an immediate meeting with the Afghan Consulate General in Quetta.

 

“We have demanded immediate return of bodies and we shall lodge a strong protest with Afghanistan on Monday,” he said and added that the foreign ministry had been alerted about the incident.

 

Local intelligence officials confirmed the incident.

 

The southwestern Baluchistan province, of which Quetta is the capital, borders Afghanistan and Iran and is rife with domestic insurgency as well as violence blamed on Taliban militants. –AFP
 

DPC to protest outside parliament on Feb 20

Defence of Pakistan Council, in its Karachi rally on Sunday, passed resolutions of immediate recovery of missing persons, ending target killing in Karachi, instantaneous arrest of criminals involved in target killings and decrease in petrol prices.

 

The Council also announced to hold a protest rally outside parliament in Islamabad on February 20 against government policies.

 

Addressing the Defence of Pakistan Conference in Karachi, Jamaat ud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed said that NATO forces have been violating our integrity in the name of so-called war on terror.

 

Capitalistic system is fading away from the world panorama replaced by the Islamic system, Saeed said.  

 

He said that the US wanted to establish the supremacy of India in the region but it would not be tolerable for Pakistan at any cost, adding that any endeavour done at any stage or any sense would be foiled.

 

He appealed that rulers should stop unconditional favour of the US that has crushed the Muslim World under the guise of war on terror.

 

Throwing light on current situation of Balochistan, he said that the US wanted to ignite chaotic conditions in war-torn province for her vested interests.

 

Actually, the US has nothing to do with the progress and prosperity of the Balochis; rather its first and foremost ‘mission’ to disintegrate the province endowed with natural resources, he added.

 

Hafiz Saeed said that the US wants to intrude in Balochistan after its failure in Afghanistan and India is using Kashmir as a puppet to watch its interests in the region.

 

All kinds of resources would be utilised to halt NATO supply, he emphasised.

 

Jamaat Islami chief Syed Munawar Hassan said that the Pakistan Defence Council has been formed to secure the integrity and sovereignty of motherland.

 

At the end of the conference, religious scholars passed a 10-points resolution, emphasising that the rulers should take the resolution seriously; otherwise, revolutionary steps would be taken for security and survival of the motherland.
 

Malik for tight security on PM presence on Monday

Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani would appear before the Supreme Court to face contempt allegation leveled against him.

 

A high-level meeting was held in Islamabad where Rehman Malik, while chairing the meeting, directed the administration to arrange for different route for masses.

 

He also directed the IG Islamabad to arrange security measures at the precinct of court in accordance with the suggestions of the Supreme Court.

 

In this regard, participants would be issued special passes without which there would be no entry.

 

He said that Special Forces would also be deployed on Margala Hills and everything would be monitored with the CCTV cameras.
 

S Arabia: 1 killed, 3 injured in clash with forces

 

Activists and witnesses said the casualties came when security forces opened fire on a Shiite demonstration in the Qatif district of the kingdom s Eastern Province.

 

“A security force patrol came under heavy gunfire from masked men while it was carrying out its duties in Al-Shwaika neighbourhood in the Qatif district on Thursday,” SPA reported, quoting a police spokesman in the province.

 

Security forces “responded,” prompting “an exchange of fire that left four of the rioters wounded, one of whom died before reaching hospital,” it added.

 

Activists and witnesses said that security forces opened fire when a Shiite procession marking the birthday of the Prophet Mohammed (PBUH) — a celebration forbidden in ultra-conservative Sunni Muslim Saudi Arabia — turned into a demonstration for reform and the release of Shiite detainees.

 

“Munir al-Medani, 21, was wounded by a live bullet to his chest,” one activist said, requesting anonymity. “He was taken to hospital where he later died of his wounds.”
A number of other protesters were also wounded, the activists and witnesses said.

 

Witnesses said the shooting prompted groups of young protesters to burn tyres and police to set up checkpoints across the district.

 

Medani s death raises to six the number of protesters killed since demonstrations erupted in the Eastern Province last March against Saudi-led military intervention to help crush Shiite-led pro-democracy protests in neighbouring Bahrain.

 

Activists say that Saudi authorities have arrested nearly 500 people since the protests started. Many have been released but dozens remain in custody, among them human rights activist Fadel al-Munasif and writer Nazir al-Majid.

 

In January, Saudi authorities published a list of 23 men wanted on suspicion of involvement in the disturbances.

 

Later the same month, the interior ministry announced that security forces had arrested nine people suspected of involvement in the wounding of three policemen in the Eastern Province.

 

Most of Saudi Arabia s estimated two million Shiites live in the province, where the vast majority of the kingdom s huge oil reserves lie. They complain of marginalisation in the Sunni-dominated kingdom.
 

Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood wants govt sacked

 

Egypt s Muslim Brotherhood has called on the ruling generals to sack the military-appointed government, saying it has failed to manage the deteriorating security and economic situation in the country.

 

The Islamic fundamentalist Brotherhood controls nearly 50 percent of the seats in the new parliament, by far the single largest bloc to emerge from Egypt s freest and fairest elections in decades. Brotherhood spokesman Mahmoud Ghozlan said on Thursday the military should appoint a Brotherhood representative as prime minister, who would then form a new government.

 

The calls for sacking the Cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Kamal el-Ganzouri, come after deadly soccer riot that sparked days of clashes between protesters and the police. At least 74 were killed in the riot on Feb. 1 and at least 15 more died in the clashes that followed.

 

“We call on the military council to sack this government that has failed to handle this big event and to form another government,” said Ghozlan. “If there is a government in place that is really backed by the choice of the people, it will act without regard for any pressure from anyone. It will seek to reassure the people and provide it with security,” he added.

 

There have been periodic bursts of protests and deadly clashes since the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak a year ago. There has also been a wave of crime, notably a spate of bank heists, over the past few weeks.

 

Military troops deployed around the country starting Wednesday in an attempt to restore some security, and as state media said, “restore the state s prestige.” Mobile patrols roved main roads and squares, and other troops guarded government ministries, banks and other public buildings.

 

Many blame police for the failure to stop the deadly riots and criticize the police for excessive use of force to break up ensuing protests. The deadly week renewed accusations that the ruling military council had mismanaged what was supposed to be a transition to democracy and revived calls for the generals to step down.

 

The security surge comes just days before a general strike starting Feb. 11 the one year anniversary of Mubarak s ouster to demand the quick transfer to civilian rule. The call has gained traction, and was widely criticized by the military and the Brotherhood as an attempt to destabilize the country.Adding to the precarious security situation, tribesmen briefly kidnapped 18 Egyptian border guards along the frontier with Israel in the Sinai Peninsula before releasing them.

 

Security officials said the Bedouin tribesmen snatched the guards from positions along the border to protest the killing of one of their members, a smuggler, as he tried to sneak into Israel days ago.

 

After holding negotiations with tribal leaders, the kidnappers freed the guards, one of the security officials said.
The Brotherhood calls for forming a new government appear to be partially in response to growing dissent.

 

Essam el-Erian, a leading Brotherhood lawmaker, said negotiations to form such a government have not begun yet, and could only happen with the approval of the military council.

 

“We are a considerable bloc that can create an agreement over such a government,” he said. “The country needs an effective government.”

 

Military generals had previously said they would not be opposed to a government formed by the parliament majority. The legislature s primary task remains selecting the 100-member constituent assembly which will be entrusted with writing the country s new constitution.

 

Many among Egypt s liberal and secular revolutionary groups have grown critical of the Brotherhood, accusing it of attempting to monopolize the political scene and of working closely with the ruling generals. The youth-dominated groups fear the Brotherhood may strike a deal with the military council giving the military a future say in politics to ensure the Brotherhood s hold on authority and influence the writing of a new constitution.

 

The deputy chairman of the Muslim Brotherhood, Khairat el-Shater, told the Arabic TV network Al-Jazeera that a wide-based coalition government should reflect the sizes of the respective political groups in parliament, but also include technocrats and public figures.

 

He said he expected it to be led by a member of the Brotherhood s political arm, the Freedom and Justice party.
“We will not monopolize the government,” el-Shater told Al-Jazeera late Wednesday.

 

Emad Gad, a lawmaker from the liberal Egyptian Democratic Socialist Party, which has 25 seats in the parliament, said his party won t join a coalition government but will remain in the opposition bloc.

 

“Didn t they win the majority? Let them manage the country and put up with the responsibility,” Gad said.

 

The domestic tension comes amid a growing rift between Egyptian rulers and the country s longtime strategic ally, the U.S. Egyptian officials have cracked down on foreign nonprofit pro-democracy groups, including four American organizations, accusing them of using foreign funds to foment protests in the country.

 

Judges referred 16 Americans and 27 others, including Europeans and Egyptians, to trial on these charges, in an escalation that threatens to rock Cairo s once-solid relations with Washington.

 

Just days before a general strike called by protesters goes into effect, another U.S.-affiliated institution, the American University in Cairo, came under scrutiny and accusation by the military rulers as an instigator of unrest.

 

A Facebook page affiliated with the ruling Supreme Council of the Armed Forces hinted that the university, operating in Egypt since 1919, was the latest tool of the U.S. administration and its security agencies to weaken Egypt. The site is not the official page of the council, but often reflects its views.

 

AUC students had announced they will be taking part in the rolling general strike starting Saturday. The Facebook page said university students are campaigning for the strike, implementing a foreign plot with Egyptian hands. Most of the university students are upper class Egyptians.

 

“Is the American University in Cairo one of the tools of the U.S. administration and its different security agencies to work inside the country and take part in the plot to topple Egypt and occupy it by 2015,” the statement said.
 

Israel rejects new Palestinian government: minister

 

Israel s foreign minister told the UN Security Council on Thursday that a new Palestinian unity government including Hamas was a setback to peace attempts, diplomats said.

 

Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman briefed the 15 Security Council ambassadors on the Middle East peace talks and the growing confrontation with Iran in a meeting at a New York hotel.

 

Lieberman said an accord signed this week by the heads of Fatah and Hamas “does not contribute to the advancement of peace negotiations or the well being of the Palestinian people,” Israel s UN mission said in a statement.

 

The accord “reflects the personal interests” of Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, the head of Fatah, and Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal, the Israeli minister added.

 

“Israel will not accept a Palestinian government that includes Hamas, unless it changes its current policies, recognizes Israel s right to exist and accepts all Quartet conditions,” Lieberman added.

 

Talks between Israel and the Palestinians have been frozen since September 2010. The Palestinians have demanded that Israel halt settlement construction in the Palestinian territories. Israel rejects any conditions for talks to settle the Middle East conflict.

 

Lieberman, who is on a US tour which included meetings in Washington with US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, also demanded that the Security Council act on Iran, the statement said.

 

“Israel keeps all options on the table” if international sanctions do not convince Iran to halt its nuclear drive, Lieberman said. Western countries say Iran is trying to build a nuclear bomb and many experts say Israel is planning for a military strike. Iran denies it is seeking a weapon.

 

Lieberman called on the Security Council to act on statements by Iran s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who have made calls “to wipe Israel off the map,” the Israeli mission said.
 

More than 80 killed in Syria, most in Homs: activists

 

More than 80 people died in violence across Syria on Thursday, activists said, with the majority killed in a fierce assault by regime forces on the flashpoint central city of Homs.

 

Rami Abdel Rahman of the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that of the 83 deaths nationwide, 63 people were killed in shelling and other violence in Homs province.

 

Fifty-three were killed in Homs city, which has been under a relentless bombardment by regime forces for the past six days, he told AFP.

 

Of these, Abdel Rahman said 35 civilians died in the Baba Amr neighbourhood of Homs and 11 were killed when a shell slammed into their house in the protest hub s Inshaat district.

 

He added that seven other people died in the city s Khaldiyeh and Karm el-Zeytoun neighbourhoods.

 

Ten more people, five from the same family, died in shelling and heavy gunfire as regime troops pushed forth with a more than week-long assault on the town of Zabadani near the Syrian capital, Abdel Rahman added.

 

“They are trying to choke the town before storming it,” he said. “Residents are fleeing to Bludan and other nearby villages.”

 

Elsewhere, seven security forces members were killed when rebels ambushed two buses near the southern town of Daraa, cradle of the revolt against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

 

Among other deaths in the armed forces, a military colonel was killed at his home in Rastan, in Homs province.

 

Four other civilians, including a young woman, were killed in the northwestern province of Idlib, and a man died of wounds he suffered the day before in Daraa.
 

Trilateral summit to be held next week in Islamabad

 

The third trilateral will discuss the regional security situation.

 

President Asif Ali Zardari‚ Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Iranian President Mahmood Ahmadinejad will attend the summit and discuss the host of issues pertaining to regional peace‚ security and stability.

 

At the weekly news briefing in Islamabad on Thursday‚ Foreign Office Spokesman Abdul Basit said it is important for the three sides to get together and discuss the important issues faced by the region including the transnational organized crimes.

 

Responding to a question about the US pressure on Islamabad for pulling out of the Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project‚ the foreign office spokesman said there is no change and shift in our policy on the gas pipeline project. He said Pakistan is committed to the completion of the gas pipeline project by 2014. This project‚ he said‚ is important for our economy and meets the energy deficit.

 

Abdul Basit said during the visit of Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to Moscow‚ Russia has expressed its interest in financing different energy related projects including CASA 1000 and Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India TAPI gas pipeline project. He said Pakistan would also welcome Russia s or any other country s investment in important Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project.

 

When asked about the US-Taliban talks in Qatar‚ Abdul Basit said Pakistan has been kept informed of these talks through the diplomatic channels. He said as far as the visit of Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani to Qatar is concerned‚ it was purely a bilateral visit aimed at further strengthening relationship in different fields.

 

There was no meeting of the Prime Minister and the Taliban in Qatar. He said during talks with the Qatari leadership‚ Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani discussed the regional situation including the Afghan issue.
 

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