PML-N, PML-Q Likeminded forge alliance

Leaders from both sides had a meeting where they decided to form the alliance.

PML-N was represented by Senator Ishaq Dar, Mehtab Abbasi, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and PML-Q Likeminded by Senator Salim Saifullah, Humayun Akhtar and Senator Ghafar Qureshi.

As the matter of PML-Q Likeminded and the PML-Q objections to the splinter is pending in the Lahore High Court, both parties decided to retain their separate identities despite agreement on forming an alliance.

Sources said issues relating the economy, establishment of new provinces and the law and order situation were also taken up in the meeting.

Khanani and Kalia: FIA chief questions suspects’ acquittal

ISLAMABAD: The Director-General of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Waseem Ahmed on Saturday said exonerating suspects in the Khanani and Kalia case was questionable.

Ahmed was speaking before the Senate’s Standing Committee on Interior chaired by Senator Talha Mehmood. The FIA chief also alleged that a large sum of money was used for the release of the accused, saying that there was enough proof of their involvement in money laundering. “You will be surprised to know how many days they spent in jail and how many days in the hospital,” the FIA chief said.

He added that the prime minister’s son had paid Rs8 million as custom duty for importing a vehicle and the notification for the import of the bulletproof car was issued by the interior ministry.

Waseem said that the FIA is currently conducting inquires in 35 different key cases. By the end of April, all inquiries will be completed, he said. He claimed that in the last four years the agency had only handled immigration duties and corruption cases were dealt by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), but now many corruption cases have been handed over to the FIA. “The FIA should be fully authorised to procure documents to expedite inquiries,” he said.

Presently around 1,032 positions are lying vacant in the FIA, which is one of the reasons for delays, he said. Ahmed further claimed that the salaries and incentives given to FIA officials are much less than that given to provincial police personnel. No efficient officer from any other departments is ready to work in the agency, he said, adding that “possibly political pressure is one of the reasons for not advertising vacancies.”

The committee unanimously recommended to immediately fill vacant positions, and said the interior ministry will be asked to bring salaries at par with provincial police officials.

Meanwhile, the senate committee said there were irregularities in the Federal Bureau of Revenue (FBR) and directed the department to plug loopholes in revenue collection.

Earlier, FBR officials told the committee that an inquiry was under way against an official from the FBR’s intelligence wing in Karachi, who had illegally using an imported vehicle owned by another citizen.

The committee was also informed that the health ministry has registered 16, 500 drugs during the last two and half years, which is higher than the total number of drugs registered in the past 60 years. The committee has asked for a report on the sudden increase.

Kerry, Obama urges Pak to release Raymond

President Barack Obama and US Senator John Kerry said Raymond Davis who is detained in Pakistan for killing two Pakistani youths, had diplomatic immunity under Vienna Convention.

US President urged Pakistan to release the US man, as he is a diplomat.

Kerry man who played a vital role in approval of Kerry-Lugar bill, said no issue can impact the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Addressing a press conference here, the US Senator said, “We are living in a rule of law, where there is an international law by which this particular employee has diplomatic immunity. For us, there’s no question of that, we know exactly what the papers say, where we are. That’s not what I’m here to argue about tonight, that’s not my mission. My mission is to try to lay the ground work for people to approach that issue as it should be approached, but to keep us all focused on the larger issues that we need to be also working on.”

Davis has no immunity: Qureshi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former foreign minister, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, has said on Wednesday that US embassy employee Raymond Davis did not enjoy complete immunity.

“US must keep in mind Pakistan’s sacrifices,” said Qureshi, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad after his meeting with US Senator John Kerry.

He said that his meeting with Kerry was on the wishes of US senator.
Criticizing the statements of party leaders, Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP), Qureshi said that his stance on the issue, Raymond Davis, was principled not personal. “I was briefed that Raymond has no complete immunity. I instructed foreign secretary to follow law.”

He said both the countries, US and Pakistan, need each other. TrendPK

Latif Khosa appointed new Punjab governor, notification issued

Senator Sardar Latif Khosa has been appointed as the new Punjab governor and notification has been issued in this regard on Tuesday.

Earlier, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani advised President Asif Ali Zardari to appoint Senator Sardar Latif Khosa as Punjab governor after the murder of Salman Taseer in Islamabad.

According to details, Gilani sent a summary to President Asif Ali Surdari for the appointment of Khosa as the Punjab governor. President Asif Ali Zardari held day-long discussions with senior party leaders at Bilawal House to finalize the name for the Punjab governor. Earlier, Latif Khosa had a meeting with Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in Islamabad. Latif Khosa has also served as Attorney General of Pakistan and advisor to the Prime Minister.

SC moved for disqualification of Rehman Malik

ISLAMABAD: A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court on Friday for disqualification of Interior Minister Senator Rehman Malik over wrong recitation of the Holy Quran (Surah Ikhlas), TrendPK.com News reported.

Tariq Asad Advocate contended in his plea that Senator Rehman Malik wrongly recited Surah Ikhlas three times during the cabinet meeting.

He asserted that Malik did not qualify for the senate seat, as he has no knowledge of the basic teachings of Islam, therefore, he should be disqualified under article 62 and 63 of the constitution.

Senate Passes 19th Amendment Bill

ISLAMABAD, trendpk: The draft of the 19th amendment in the constitution will be placed before the Senate today for approval.

Advisor to the Prime Minister on inter-provincial coordination Senator Mian Raza Rabbani who is heading the constitutional reforms committee of the Parliament and author of the 18th and 19th constitutional amendments will pilot the bill in the Senate today after Question Hour.

The session wold be held at Parliament House at 1030am this morning.

It is expected that Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani will also be present when the Senate would resume its sitting in the Parliament House. He will later address the upper house of the Parliament.

The senate session will be adjourned sine die after the Bill is approved. It should be mentioned here that National Assembly has already adopted the 19th Amendment.

Lawmakers Plead Their Cases About Fake, Invalid Degrees

trendpk: Twelve lawmakers including their counsels on Monday appeared before the special committee of Election Commission of Pakistan and pleaded their cases about fake and invalid degrees.

The hearing regarding fake/invalid degrees of twelve Senators, MNAs and MPAs held under the chairmanship of ECP’s nominated officer Muhammad Afzal Khan.

The representative of Higher Education Commission Rahim Bux Channa was also present, said a press release issued here.

Barrister S.M. Zafar appeared on behalf of Senator Wali Muhammad Badini and pleaded that at the time of filing of nomination papers of his client, the condition of graduation was not required and requested to close the case.

Mazhar Hayat,MNA appeared in person and presented all documents including copies of University Card, Evaluation Reports, Passport, and list of participants of Convocation ceremony.

The committee asked him to provide a set of his complete documents with written reply along with an affidavit and adjourned the case till December 28.

Khalifa Abdul Qayyum Khan, MPA (PK-64) appeared in person and presented all his educational documents.

The Committee informed him that the name of the Madrassah, from where he got his education, is not included in the list of ten Maddaris degrees of which have been declared equivalent to graduation by the HEC. He was, therefore, asked to submit his written reply along with an affidavit and the case was adjourned till 20th December 2010.

For Nasim Nasir Khawaja, her representative Ms. Rozina Naveed appeared and pleaded that due to some technical errors in her reply, they could not submit it before the Committee, therefore, the case may be adjourned.

The Committee informed her about the allegations and advised her to submit credible documents in her defence on December 20 otherwise her case will be closed and placed before the Chief Election Commissioner.

For Syeda Majida Zaidi MPA, (PP-Reserved), Muhammad Imran Advocate appeared and sought adjournment for submission of written reply. The committee fixed December 20 as final date of hearing.

For Yar Muhammad Rind, MPA (PB-31), Sardar Addul Razzaq Khan Advocate appeared and pleaded that a petition had been filed in the Lahore High Court and Justice Sagheer Ahmad Qadri is hearing the case on December 22 and therefore sought adjournment.The Committee advised him to submit written reply in support of his contention and the case was fixed for December 28.

Rana Jehanzeb Akhtar Advocate appeared on behalf of Ms. Saima Aziz, MPA (PP-Reserved) and informed that his senior Barrister Rafiq Rijwana could not reach Islamabad to plead the case; therefore, the case may be adjourned.Her next date of hearing is in office.

Muhammad Imran Advocate appeared in the case of Ms. Samina Khawar Hayat, MPA (PP-Reserved) and requested for adjournment. The Committee fixed December 20 as next date of hearing.

A representative, Inamullah appeared on behalf of Sardar Ali, MPA (PK-34). The Committee informed him that the second degree submitted by him has also been declared bogus by the University of Peshawar. The representative requested for issuance of notice to the Controller of Examination of the University of Peshawar to produce the record before the Committee. The Committee decided to ask the Controller of Examination to produce record on December 28 and advised the representative to ask Mr. Sardar Ali to appear before the Committee in person on the same date.

An Advocate,Tariq Khokhar appeared on behalf of Mir Humayun Aziz Kurd, MNA (NA-267) and pleaded that the degree of his client is invalid but not fake. No criminal proceedings can be initiated against his client as no mala fide intention was involved. The Committee advised him to provide documentary proof in support of his contention and also submit an affidavit/written reply to proceed further in the matter. The Committee fixed December 28 as next date of hearing.

In the case of Ijaz Ahmad MPA, (PP-209) his advocate Raja Jehanzeb Akhtar appeared and pleaded that he had already submitted written reply in the case with the contention that the degree of his client is quite genuine and issued by a recognized institution. He relied upon a judgment of Division Bench of Lahore High Court dated September 11 in the case of Ihsan-ud-Din Qureshi and others. The Committee informed him that the degree was issued by the institution itself which was not authorized to issue degree. His next date of hearing is in office.

US Did Not Want CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry Restored

ISLAMABAD, News Trends: Former US ambassador Anne W Patterson had strongly opposed the restoration of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry during a January 2008 meeting with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, who told the US ambassador that without restoring of the chief justice, other judges’ restoration would be meaningless.

According to a US embassy cable, the then US ambassador to Pakistan, Anne Patterson, called on Nawaz Sharif on January 31, 2008 and while discussing different issues, Nawaz Sharif opined that without restoration of the independent judiciary, neither the rule of law could be maintained nor the law and order situation would get better.

Ambassador Patterson said that some of the deposed judges could be restored but Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry could not be restored. On this, Nawaz Sharif told the US ambassador in categorical words that without restoring Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, no other judges could be restored and any such restoration would be meaningless.

The most shocking part of the WikiLeaks cable’s revelation is that on this categorical statement of Nawaz Sharif, Ambassador Patterson stuck to the US stand and disagreed with Nawaz Sharif. She told the PML-N chief that Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry will not be restored and some high court judges will be restored.

The exact wording of the WikiLeaks cable is as under, “5 (C) … The PML-N’s goal in government would be to reinstate the deposed judiciary and restore the law and order situation. Without restoring the judiciary, Nawaz argued, you cannot restore law and order and rule of law.

6. (C) Ambassador said we continued to support an independent judiciary and wanted to work with the new government on this issue. It was simply too difficult to tackle before elections. We believed there should be a way to restore some of the deposed judges, but not the former Chief Justice. Nawaz insisted that without restoring the Chief Justice, there was no point to filling other slots on the bench. Ambassador disagreed, noting that many of the provincial judges could be restored for the benefit of Pakistan’s judiciary.”

The cable, classified ‘By Anne W. Patterson’, stated:

1. (C) Summary. During a meeting with Ambassador January 31, Nawaz Sharif confirmed he was ready to work with the Pakistan People’s Party in a post-election coalition government and described this union as “the best thing that could happen in Pakistan.” He dismissed reports of threats to his life as attempts by the government to dissuade him from campaigning. Noting that emotions remain high in Sindh, he predicted violence if the election was seen as being rigged for Musharraf’s party. As proof of his pro-Americanism, Nawaz reminded Ambassador that he had overruled his Chief of Staff to deploy Pakistani forces with the U.S. coalition in the first Gulf War. Nawaz remained firm in his belief that all of the deposed judiciary must be reinstated. End Summary.

2. (C) Ambassador and Polcouns met former Prime Minister and Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) leader Nawaz Sharif January 31 for an hour during Nawaz’s recent visit to Islamabad. PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also attended the meeting. Nawaz met with EU ambassadors the same day and urged them to take pre-emptive action to prevent rigging in the upcoming election.

3. (C) Ambassador noted the reports about threats to Nawaz’s security and said we were pleased to have briefed his staff on measures that could be taken to enhance his safety. Nawaz responded that the GOP has said he is “number one on the hit list” of the militants, but he is not convinced. Citing the belief that an IED planted on the road he was to travel to a rally in Peshawar lacked a detonator, Nawaz insisted he had received information from credible sources that the device was planted by security services to go off hours after the rally. This was another attempt at government intimidation to convince him not to campaign. Ambassador cautioned him to remain vigilant, as it was clear that militant extremists wanted to disrupt the election.

PML-N/PPP: “the best thing that could happen”

4. (C) In response to Ambassador’s question about whether PML-N could work with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in a possible coalition government, Nawaz recounted how he had immediately gone to the hospital when he heard Benazir Bhutto had been shot, and he had made a special effort to pay a condolence call on Asif Zardari in Larkana. Ambassador said that Zardari had noted his appreciation for this gesture of support. A PML-N/PPP alliance would be “the best thing that could happen to Pakistan,” if it materialised, said Nawaz. The PML-N had reached out to the PPP, and time would tell what alliances could be built. They could also work together in the provincial government of Sindh or the Punjab. He predicted that the PPP could win enough seats to rule in Sindh with or without the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM).

5. (C) Nawaz expected both PPP and PML-N would do well at the polls if the elections were free and fair; he dismissed the Pakistan Muslim League party, saying that Pervaiz Elahi would get few, if any votes. Claiming he had no vendetta against President Musharraf, Nawaz said the PML-N had also reached out to the Pakistan Muslim League and they in turn had contacted PML-N (Ref A). (Note: He then launched into a long description of his mistreatment after Musharraf overthrew Nawaz in 1999). The PML-N’s goal in government would be to reinstate the deposed judiciary and restore the law and order situation. Without restoring the judiciary, Nawaz argued, you cannot restore law and order and rule of law.

6. (C) Ambassador said we continued to support an independent judiciary and wanted to work with the new government on this issue. It was simply too difficult to tackle before elections. We believed there should be a way to restore some of the deposed judges, but not the former Chief Justice. Nawaz insisted that without restoring the Chief Justice, there was no point to filling other slots on the bench. Ambassador disagreed, noting that many of the provincial judges could be restored for the benefit of Pakistan’s judiciary.

7. (C) Despite the decreased level of campaigning due to security concerns, Nawaz and Khan both said that voter emotions were higher than they have ever seen. Sindh, in particular, remains very tense, and could erupt if the election outcome is perceived as being rigged. Nawaz noted that civil society and student groups were politicised in ways they have not been before. The PML-N did not want violence, but it might be impossible to control the people if they felt they had been wronged. Nawaz expressed concern that extremists could take advantage of and exacerbate tensions. He warned that what he described as negatively perceived U.S. support for Musharraf could create a backlash of anti-Americanism, if the public perceives that the government rigged the elections. “We could be sitting on a volcano, and the next four-five weeks will be critical for the region and for Pak-American relations.”

8. (C) The best thing America has done recently, said Nawaz, was to have General Kayani named as Chief of Army Staff. This appointment is helping Army morale and raising the level of public respect for the Army. Noting that Musharraf met the UK equivalent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Khan said the U.S. and the UK need to stop treating Musharraf as if he still ran the military. CENTCOM Commander Admiral Fallon would have met with Musharraf if the President had not been travelling, asserted Khan. Ambassador replied that we had excellent relations with the Pakistani military and meet them all the time at various levels.

We are Pro-American

9. (C) Nawaz and Khan both repeatedly said that the PML-N was pro-American. Nawaz recounted his decision to override his Chief of Army Staff and deploy Pakistani troops to Saudi Arabia in support of the U.S. coalition in the first Gulf War. Meanwhile, Khan noted, the PPP and its leaders were organising street demonstrations against Pakistan joining with the U.S. coalition. Now, Nawaz said, he was hurt that the U.S. did not remember. Nawaz said he understood that 9/11 had changed things, but urged that the U.S. apply some balance to the relationship. In the past, the U.S. was known as the power that rejected dictatorships; that fought for independence of the judiciary and the rule of law. Why, he asked, did we continue to support a man who fired the Supreme Court, abrogated the Constitution, and arrested civil society activists?

10. (C) Comment: The fact that a former Prime Minister believes the U.S. could control the appointment of Pakistan’s Chief of Army Staff speaks volumes about the myth of American influence here. Based on our understanding of the current situation, we believe Nawaz can and should take the threats to his life seriously. It comes as no surprise that Nawaz exaggerated his party’s election prospects; his willingness to deal with the PPP is, however, a good sign he is ready to cooperate on government formation.

PATTERSON

Agencies add: Other leaked US embassy documents revealed that the US government was advised to keep reports of human rights violations by the Pakistan Army under wraps by Anne Patterson, who also suggested that focus should be on assistance to Islamabad, which was a close ally on the war against terrorism.

“A growing body of evidence is lending credence to allegations of human rights abuses by Pakistan security forces during domestic operations against terrorists in Malakand Division and Fata,” she wrote in a diplomatic dispatch on September 7, 2009.

“While it is oftentimes difficult to attribute with accuracy any responsibility for such abuses, reporting from a variety of sources suggests that Frontier Corps and regular Pakistan Army units involved in direct combat with terrorists….,” the US cable said.

“The crux of the problem appears to centre on the treatment of terrorists detained in battlefield operations and focused on the extra-judicial killing of some detainees. The detainees involved were in the custody of Frontier Corps or Pakistan Army units,” it said.

Another leaked cable reveals that US Senator John Kerry asked Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to present before India Pakistan’s plan of action for fighting terrorism if it was “really serious” in resuming Indo-Pak dialogue, but the premier expressed concern that the public would not support the idea.

Details of the meeting between Senator Kerry and PM Gilani on February 16 were communicated in a confidential cable from the US embassy in Islamabad.

During the meeting, Kerry said in light of the February 13 bombings in Pune, politicians in India were focused on counter-terrorism.

“And as such he suggested that Pakistan present the Indian government with its plan to tackle terrorism,” the cable said.

Kerry told Gilani that this would be a clear “confidence builder” that would make India more willing to move forward in talks about Kashmir and water disputes.

He emphasised that the future of India, Pakistan and the US depended on their governments’ willingness to “challenge old suspicions” and work together and suggested that Pakistan and India sign a non-aggression pact.

British troops were “not up” to the task of securing Afghanistan’s troubled Helmand province and the local governor pleaded for US reinforcements, American diplomats said in a new batch of cables released by WikiLeaks.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai also thought security in the province had deteriorated after British troops were stationed there in 2006, the cables obtained by the website and reported in The Guardian newspaper on Friday said.

“We and Karzai agree the British are not up to the task of securing Helmand,” US diplomats from the Kabul embassy said in a 2008 cable published by the Guardian.

The Helmand governor, Gulab Mangal, told a US team led by Vice President Joe Biden in January 2009 that American forces were urgently needed as British security in Sangin district did not even extend to the main bazaar.

“I do not have anything against them (the British) but they must leave their bases and engage with the people,” Mangal said, according to a cable sent from the US embassy in Kabul.

The head of Nato forces in Afghanistan in 2007-2008 also criticised the British strategy, the newspaper said.

“He was particularly dismayed by the British effort. They had made a mess of things in Helmand, their tactics were wrong, and the deal that London cut on Musa Qala (town) had failed,” Commander Dan McNeil, was quoted by US diplomats as saying.

McNeil was referring to a ceasefire agreement with the Taliban that allowed the British to pull troops out of the besieged town of Musa Qala in 2006.

President Karzai was quoted as telling US officials that the arrival of British troops in the southern province in 2006 had coincided with a deterioration of the situation there.

The leaked cables further revealed that Karzai’s own inner circle considers him weak and sometimes unscrupulous.

Finance Minister Omar Zakhilwal described Karzai as an “extremely weak man” who did not listen to facts, one cable dated February this year said, and former Interior Minister Hanif Atmar claimed Karzai did not understand US policy in the region.

Zakhilwal said Karzai’s inner circle had agreed to “collaborate to influence Karzai when they see him going astray”, and support each other if they faced the president’s anger for raising sensitive issues.

US envoy Eikenberry detailed poor leadership and America-bashing from Karzai, said he was “paranoid and weak” and accused him of failing to grasp the “most rudimentary principles of state-building”, which is key to the US mission.

“His deep seated insecurity as a leader combine to make any admission of fault unlikely, in turn confounding our best efforts to find in Karzai a responsible partner,” Eikenberry wrote in a July 2009 cable detailed by The New York Times.

According to the leaked cables, the US spy planes flew reconnaissance flights over Lebanon from a British air base in Cyprus in a counter-terrorist surveillance operation requested by Lebanese officials.

The leaked documents, which did not specify what the 2008 flights were monitoring, revealed Britain feared that if the imagery from the flights was used by the Lebanese army to capture and mistreat suspects, Britain could be seen as complicit.

Brazil repeatedly rebuffed insistent US calls to take detainees held at the notorious Guantanamo prison facility, leaked US cables revealed.

The whistle-blowing website published information from three cables sent from the US embassy in Brasilia.

The first two, which were extracts only from confidential missives, dated from May and October in 2005 and the last, full cable, designated unclassified, was from October 2009.

Each spoke of US efforts since 2003 to get the Brazilian government to take in detainees from the US prison facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba — each time met with a negative response.

Another leaked document stated that a top Mexican official said the government was in danger of losing control of parts of the country to powerful drug cartels.

In a cable in October 2009, then Deputy Interior Minister Geronimo Gutierrez expressed “a real concern with losing certain regions (of Mexico).”

He added that drug violence is damaging Mexico’s international reputation, hurting foreign investment, and leading to a sense of “government impotence,” the cable said.

Leaked cable also revealed that Egypt lobbied last year to delay southern Sudan’s secession vote for four to six years because it feared the new state could fail and the division could imperil its share of Nile waters.

The cable outlined Cairo’s warnings that a southern vote for independence in 2011 could have “fatal implications,” including destabilising the Horn of Africa, causing an influx of migrants to Egypt, and hurting Suez Canal revenues.

CRC okays SC Proposals on Judges Appointment

News Trends: The Constitutional Reforms Committee (CRC) on Friday unanimously approved all the recommendations of the Supreme Court (SC) regarding the appointment of judges.

The committee meeting was chaired by Senator Raza Rabbani. It recommended that the name of a judge will be sent to the president via the prime minister for final approval. According to the recommendations, the parliamentary committee for judges appointment will have eight National Assembly members and four of the Senate. In case the national assembly is dissolved, the Senate members will finalise names of the judges. Three out of four members of the Senate will be able to accept or reject the name of a judge for a post. The reforms committee has decided to table the 19th amendment for the approval of the recommendations during the National Assembly session starting on December 22. It has also formed a six member sub committee to finalize the draft of the 19th amendment. The apex court last month asked the parliament to change a two-pronged criterion for judges appointment devised by the committee by inserting a new article (175-A) into the 18th constitutional amendment.

Accordingly, the government revived the Parliamentary Committee of Constitutional Reforms to undertake the task. After initial meetings earlier this month, the committee decided to explore various options to accommodate the Supreme Court order, including introducing a 19th amendment or passing a resolution in a joint sitting of the National Assembly and the Senate.The Supreme Court, in its interim order, had asked the parliament to amend the mechanism for judges appointment in a way that it gives the chief justices the final say in nominating judges.

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