”Black Swan” continues its twirl overseas

LOS ANGELES: Despite “Tangled’s” continued lock on first place, “Black Swan” landed just a feather away from taking the top spot at foreign theaters over the weekend, missing No. 1 by a mere $131,664.

An obvious “Oscar Bump” is strongly in play as international audiences in 29 territories boosted the mainstream art house wonder over the $150 million mark in global revenue with $16.7 million in weekend receipts.

Third place got an unexpected visitor as the Franco-Belgian comedy “Nothing to Declare” in just four territories earned an impressive $13.95 million and is approaching $50 million worldwide. For a film that most people stateside have never heard of, that’s not a bad haul.

In six more territories than last week another Oscar darling, “The King’s Speech,” held steady in fourth place with $13.2 million and a global cumulative that is just a shilling shy of $200 million. And other Oscar contenders continued to make their mark in the Top 20, with “True Grit” in ninth place and “The Fighter” in 19th place, having just crossed the $100 million mark in global dollars.

Here are the top 20 movies at international theaters last weekend, followed by international gross for the weekend (excluding North America), number of theater locations, number of territories, worldwide gross to date (including North America), and number of weeks in release as compiled Wednesday by global media measurement company Rentrak Corp. and provided by Hollywood.com:

“Tangled,” $16,871,286, 4,400 locations, 44 territories, $490,473,734, 12 weeks.

2. “Black Swan,” $16,739,622, 3,484 locations, 29 territories, $155,421,621, 11 weeks.

3. “Nothing to Declare,” $13,956,964, 1,129 locations, four territories, $46,882,950, three weeks.

4. “The King’s Speech,” $13,211,028, 3,893 locations, 26 territories, $199,976,798, 12 weeks.

5. “Sanctum,” $11,958,392, 3,856 locations, 13 territories, $45,453,535, two weeks.

6. “The Green Hornet,” $10,787,977, 7,822 locations, 59 territories, $200,046,313, five weeks.

7. “Yogi Bear,” $9,278,119, 4,246 locations, 31 territories, $155,338,796, nine weeks.

8. “Kokowaah,” $8,524,143, 876 locations, three territories, $21,659,756, two weeks.

9. “True Grit,” $8,469,692, 3,385 locations, 16 territories, $177,921,814, eight weeks.

10. “Gulliver’s Travels,” $7,644,591, 1,992 locations, 36 territories, $183,300,808, eight weeks.

11. “Tron Legacy,” $6,289,869, 2,075 locations, 26 territories, $356,084,840, nine weeks.

12. “No Strings Attached,” $5,525,670, 3,098 locations, 17 territories, $71,811,219, four weeks.

13. “Gnomeo and Juliet,” $5,348,317, 3,633 locations, seven territories, $34,476,335, one week.

14. “Just Go With It,” $5,229,806, 4,463 locations, 13 territories, $44,182,893, one week.

15. “Hereafter,” $4,487,711, 1,500 locations, 27 territories, $88,829,879, six weeks.

16. “The Tourist,” $4,234,232, 2,601 locations, 50 territories, $230,777,671, 10 weeks.

17. “Femmine Contro Maschi,” $3,362,288, locations NA, one territory, $10,450,509, two weeks.

18. “Detective K: Secret of a Peddler’s Inn,” $3,354,139, locations NA, one territory, $24,321,180, three weeks.

19. “The Fighter,” $3,321,450, 1,942 locations, 19 territories, $102,820,739, 10 weeks.

20. “Gantz,” $3,092,464, locations NA, one territory, $25,870,868, three weeks.

2011 SAG Award Winners

Last night the 17th annual SAG awards were held in Hollywood. ‘The King’s Speech’ was named top film and Colin Firth was honored for his role in the film. The King’s Speech also took the award for outstanding cast in a motion picture, the cast includes Geoffry Rush and Helena Bonham Carter.

Natalie Portman was given the award for the most outstanding performance by a female actor for her role ‘Black Swan’.

The top awards in Television were given to Steve Buscemi for his role in ‘Boardwalk Empire’ and the show also came out on top by taking the award for outstanding performance by an ensemble in a drama series.

‘The Fighter’ also took home two awards.

Overall it was a fairly regular ceremony with not too many surprises. Now speculation is whether the 2011 Oscars awards will be as predictable and has ‘The Social Network’ been knocked out of the Oscars race?

Complete list of winners after the jump!

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A CAST IN A MOTION PICTURE
“Black Swan”
“The Fighter”
“The Kids Are Alright”
“The King’s Speech” – WINNER
“The Social Network”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Jesse Eisenberg, “The Social Network”
Colin Firth, “The King’s Speech” – WINNER
James Franco, “127 Hours”
Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”
Robert Duvall, “Get Low”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE
Annette Benning, “The Kids Are Alright”
Nicole Kidman, “The Rabbit Hole”
Jennifer Lawrence, “Winter’s Bone”
Natalie Portman, “Black Swan” – WINNER
Hilary Swank, “Conviction”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Christian Bale, “The Fighter” – WINNER
Mark Ruffalo, “The Kids Are Alright”
John Hawkes, “Winter’s Bone”
Jeremy Renner, “The Town”
Geoffrey Rush, “The King’s Speech”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE
Amy Adams, “The Fighter”
Helena Bonham Carter, “The King’s Speech”
Mila Kunis, “Black Swan”
Melissa Leo, “The Fighter” – WINNER
Hailee Steinfeld, “True Grit”

TELEVISION

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A DRAMA SERIES
“Boardwalk Empire” – WINNER
“Dexter”
“The Good Wife”
“Mad Men”
“The Closer”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY AN ENSEMBLE IN A COMEDY SERIES
“30 Rock”
“The Office”
“Glee”
“Modern Family” – WINNER
“Hot in Cleveland”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Steve Buscemi, “Boardwalk Empire” – WINNER
Bryan Cranston, “Breaking Bad”
Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”
Jon Hamm, “Mad Men”
Hugh Laurie, “House”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A DRAMA SERIES
Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife” – WINNER
Elisabeth Moss, “Mad Men”
Glenn Close, “Damages”
Mariska Hargitay, “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit”
Kyra Sedgwick, “The Closer”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock” – WINNER
Steve Carell, “The Office”
Chris Colfer, “Glee”
Ty Burrell, “Modern Family”
Ed O’Neill, “Modern Family”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A COMEDY SERIES
Betty White, “Hot in Cleveland” – WINNER
Sofia Vergara, “Modern Family”
Tina Fey, “30 Rock”
Edie Falco “Nurse Jackie”
Jane Lynch, “Glee”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
John Goodman, “You Don’t Know Jack”
Al Pacino, “You Don’t Know Jack” – WINNER
Dennis Quaid, “The Special Relationship”
Edgar Ramirez, “Carlos”
Patrick Stewart, “MacBeth”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A TELEVISION MOVIE OR MINISERIES
Claire Danes, “Temple Grandin” – WINNER
Catherine O’Hara, “Temple Grandin”
Julia Ormond, “Temple Grandin”
Winona Ryder, “When Love Is Not Enough”
Susan Sarandon, “You Don’t Know Jack”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A MOTION PICTURE
“Green Zone”
“Inception” – WINNER
“Robin Hood”

OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE BY A STUNT ENSEMBLE IN A TELEVISION SERIES
“Burn Notice”
“CSI: NY”
“Dexter”
“Southland”
“True Blood” – WINNER

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak announces dissolution of government

Breaking News

President of Egypt Hosni Mubarak made first speech since Egypt erupted in violent protests aimed at deposing him and orders his cabinet to separate.

As Egypt looked set to tear itself apart with seemingly unstoppable rioting, its embattled President Hosni Mubarak appeared on national TV to make his first statement since the protests began. Demonstrators have been calling for him to go but his speech was set to leave them disappointed and instead he called for the cabinet to step down and for a new government to be formed. I have asked the government to turn in their resignation today and I will appoint a government tomorrow with clear and precise instructions to deal strictly with the priority that is the current stage. I tell you again that I will not go easy in taking any decisions and will preserves for all Egyptians their security and aspirations and I will defend the security of Egypt and the aspirations of its people for this is the responsibility and the oath which I had sworn before God and the nation, the Egyptian President said. He also said that Egypt needed dialogue not violence to end the country’s problems and defended the role of Egypt’s security forced in suppressing anti government protest across the country.

As night fell in Egypt it was clear few were complying with a curfew ordered by him earlier in the day. Thousands of protesters were out on the streets on the fourth day of protests in the country. Some managed to set fire to the headquarters of the ruling party as well as other buildings and vehicles. Key buildings including the foreign ministry and the state broadcaster were also besieged. It remains to be seen how the new government will react to a show of strength that the threat of a curfew and military intervention has failed to quell.

Al-Qaeda under most pressure in Pakistan since 2001: Obama

Breaking News

President Barack Obama on Tuesday said the United States had Al-Qaeda on the run and vowed a relentless fight against the militants, from Afghanistan to the Arabian Peninsula.

Nearly a decade since the attacks of September 11, 2001, Obama portrayed Al-Qaeda as the top security threat facing the country in his State of the Union address, touting progress in efforts to counter the network.

But in a speech devoted mainly to reviving the economy, Obama only briefly touched on terror threats and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, where more than 140,000 troops are deployed.He said Al-Qaeda’s leadership was under more pressure in Pakistan now than at any time since the 9/11 attacks and that the US-led war in neighboring Afghanistan would deny the network sanctuary there.Their leaders and operatives are being removed from the battlefield. Their safe-havens are shrinking, Obama said of Al-Qaeda in Pakistan.And we have sent a message from the Afghan border to the Arabian Peninsula to all parts of the globe: we will not relent, we will not waver and we will defeat you.Obama’s reference to the Arabian Peninsula underscored the rising threat posed by Al-Qaeda’s branch in Yemen, which has been blamed for recent plots against US targets.His vow to pile pressure on Al-Qaeda comes after a dramatic increase in US unmanned drone strikes in northwest Pakistan near the Afghan border.Missile attacks doubled in the tribal areas last year as the covert campaign was stepped up, with more than 100 drone strikes killing over 670 people in 2010, compared with 45 strikes that killed 420 in 2009.The strikes are deeply unpopular among the Pakistani public, which sees foreign military action on Pakistani soil as a violation of national sovereignty.Obama credited counter-terrorism operatives for foiling Al-Qaeda plots but also sought to reassure American Muslims that there would be no backlash against them.On Afghanistan, Obama said US-led forces were rolling back Al-Qaeda’s Taliban allies but warned of difficult days ahead in the nine-year-old war.Thanks to our heroic troops and civilians, fewer Afghans are under the control of the insurgency. There will be tough fighting ahead, and the Afghan government will need to deliver better governance, he said.Obama renewed his pledge to start withdrawing some of the nearly 100,000 US troops from Afghanistan in July and that NATO-led forces would begin to hand over security duties to Afghan forces in 2011.This year, we will work with nearly 50 countries to begin a transition to an Afghan lead (for security), he said.And this July, we will begin to bring our troops home.Top officials have suggested the mid-2011 withdrawal date could only involve a small number of troops, with NATO leaders aiming to hand over security for to Afghan forces by the end of 2014.As a presidential candidate, Obama had backed more troops for Afghanistan and criticized the war in Iraq as a dangerous distraction.In his speech, Obama said US troops were pulling out of Iraq having fulfilled their mission and could hold their heads high.US combat patrols had ended, violence was down and a new government had been formed, he said.This year, our civilians will forge a lasting partnership with the Iraqi people, while we finish the job of bringing our troops out of Iraq. America’s commitment has been kept; the Iraq War is coming to an end, he said.

I Will Be President Until 2019: Hugo Chavez

Breaking News The President of Venezuelan Hugo Chavez said that he would be the President of the country for another eight years and he sees himself as the winner of presidential election 2012.

“I will be elected in December 2012. It is written.” While addressing to a public gathering in the capital Caracas on the 53 National Democracy Day Chavez hinted that the next term in office would be his last in
Venezuela.“I will be your servant until 2019 and then, good-bye.” Said Chavez
.
The President proudly noted that he and his supporters have repeatedly defeated opposition candidates at the polls for more than a decade. The 56-year-old Chavez, who has been in power since 1999, said that I love my country and the nation and I want to present all my services for the country and nation.

Before the speech of President, the opponents of government held a demonstration in eastern Caracas, they criticized the last month’s decision by the National Assembly of Venezuela to grant Chavez the power to pass laws by decree for 18 months.

Chavez attempted to introduce socialist reforms to the country, and emphasized the introduction of participatory democracy and further civil rights for the women and indigenous groups.

Film directors pick nominees for best movie

LOS ANGELES: Hollywood’s Oscar race narrowed further on Monday when a key directors’ group picked their top five movies and filmmakers, including David Fincher with his Facebook film “The Social Network.”

The Directors Guild of America, which represents men and women who make movies, also put the makers of “Black Swan,” “The King’s Speech,” “The Fighter” and “Inception” on its list of nominees for best directing efforts of 2010.

“Their inspired films radiate the passion and unique vision of each of these filmmakers, who are about to become part of our Guild’s rich history. My sincerest congratulations to all five nominees,” DGA president Taylor Hackford said in a statement, noting 2011 marks the group’s 75th anniversary.

The DGA honor is important because it is one of the most prestigious honors in the U.S. film industry, and because there is a strong correlation between DGA nominees and directors who will vie for Oscars, the world’s top movie honors.

In all but six years since the DGA began giving out awards in 1948, its winner of best director has won the Academy Award, and traditionally the winner of best director has often seen his or her film go on to take best movie from Oscar organizers at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Last year’s DGA winner, Kathryn Bigelow with “The Hurt Locker,” for instance, also claimed the best director Oscar and her Iraq war film took home best motion picture.

“The Social Network,” a fast-paced movie that tells of the founding of website Facebook, already has been named best movie by numerous U.S. critics groups and on Saturday, the National Society of Film Critics also named it the No. 1 film.

Numerous other groups have made their choices, and still others like the Hollywood Foreign Press Association with its Golden Globe Awards and the Screen Actors Guild will name their winners later this month. Taken together, the critics and industry groups help narrow pundits’ picks for Oscars.

Fincher and his movie face strong competition from drama “Black Swan,” directed by Darren Aronofsky and telling of a woman on a journey of self-discovery through her dancing.

Director Tom Hooper’s “The King Speech,” a period drama detailing how Britain’s King George VI worked to overcome his stammering, has strong support among Oscar pundits.

Boxing film “The Fighter,” from David O. Russell, also figures prominently in the awards sweepstakes, and the DGA’s fifth nominee, Christopher Nolan and thriller “Inception,” has a loyal fan base owing to his mega-hit Batman movies.

The DGA gives out its awards on Jan. 29. Oscar nominees are named on Jan. 25, and their ceremony takes place on Feb. 27.

”True Grit” shoots its way to box office lead

LOS ANGELES: Oscar-winning brothers Joel and Ethan Coen”s remake of John Wayne western “True Grit” gunned its way to the top of the North American box office, elbowing “Little Fockers” to second place, figures showed Sunday.

The new version of the 1969 classic starring Jeff Bridges as the drunken, hard-nosed US Marshal “Rooster” Cogburn, took in $15 million for a total of $110.4 million in its third weekend, according to industry tracker Exhibitor Relations.

“Little Fockers,” the third installment of Robert De Niro-Ben Stiller comedies about nightmare in-laws, fell to second place with $13.7 million after two weekends at the top of the box office, for a total of $124 million since it opened.

“Season of the Witch,” starring Nicolas Cage and Ron Perlman as witch-escorting knights in Black Plague Europe, opened in third place with $10.7 million.

The 3-D sequel to the 1982 sci-fi cult “TRON: Legacy,” also starring Jeff Bridges and his computer-generated version of his younger self from the original movie, dropped one place to fourth with $9.8 million, for a four-week total of $147.9 million.

Ballet thriller “Black Swan,” starring Natalie Portman as a dancer in a New York company exploring the dark sides of the industry and her own sensuality, rose four notches to fifth place with $8.4 million, for a six-week $61.5 million total.

“Country Strong,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow as a fallen country-music star climbing her way back up to the top of the charts, opened in sixth place with $7.3 million.

Mark Wahlberg”s boxing drama “The Fighter,” fell one place to seventh with $7.0 million, followed by British historical drama “The King”s Speech,” featuring Colin Firth as a stuttering King George VI, which made $6.8 million.

The 3-D and partly computer animated family film “Yogi Bear” fell to ninth spot, earning $6.8 million, and animated Disney fable “Tangled,” about long-haired Princess Rapunzel, netted $6.2 million in the tenth spot.

Film producers, writers solidify Oscar race

LOS ANGELES: Film producers and writers on Tuesday jumped into Hollywood”s Oscar race with their choices of 2010”s best movies, including “The Social Network,” “The Fighter” and “Black Swan,” among others.

The Producers Guild of America and the Writers Guild of America, which represent their respective groups in the film and television industries, annually issue lists of best movies, and their picks are closely watched in the race for Oscars.

Joining the three movies above on the Producers Guild list were seven other films that have received praise from critics and industry groups. Those titles include “The King”s Speech,” “127 Hours,” “Inception,” “The Kids Are All Right,” “The Town,” “Toy Story 3,” and “True Grit.”

The writers divide their top 10 into two groups, best original screenplay and best adapted screenplay.

Boxing film “The Fighter” made the list of five movies that will vie for original screenplay, along with ballerina story “Black Swan,” family comedy “The Kids Are All Right,” and dramas “Inception” and “Please Give.”

Facebook film “Social Network,” adventure “127 Hours,” crime drama “The Town,” western “True Grit” and independent movie “I Love You Phillip Morris” made the group of five competing for best adapted screenplay.

Absent from the writer”s list was “King”s Speech,” a drama about the stammering British King George VI that has made several best movie lists among critics.

Hollywood is counting the days until the February 27 Oscars, the industry”s biggest movie awards held in Los Angeles and given out by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Producers Guild and other industry honors can offer a guidepost for Oscar chances because many members of the PGA and WGA also belong to the Academy, whose members cast votes for the Oscars. Moreover, industry group and critics” lists also give a lift to movie theater ticket sales.

The PGA also nominates films for best documentary, and those choices include “Client 9: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer,” about the former New York governor”s hiring of prostitutes, Rwandan genocide tale “Earth Made of Glass,” as well as “Inside Job” that aims to explain the banking crisis.

“Smash His Camera” about celebrity-chasing photographer Ron Galella, “The Tillman Story,” that examines the death of U.S. football star-turned soldier Pat Tillman in Afghanistan and “Waiting for Superman,” that details the failures of the U.S. educational system, rounded out the documentary nominees.

The honor for best-produced animated movie puts “Despicable Me,” up against “How To Train Your Dragon,” and “Toy Story 3.”

The Writers Guild picked six films for best documentary but only one, “Inside Job,” is shared with the producers. The writers other documentary nominees were: “Who is Harry Nilsson (And Why is Everybody Talkin” About Him)?” “Freedom Riders,” “Enemies of the People,” “Gasland,” “The Two Escobars.”

The producers also unveiled TV nominees, and in the category for best TV drama, “Breaking Bad,” will compete against “Dexter,” “Lost,” “Mad Men,” and “True Blood.” Nominees for TV comedy went to the producers of “30 Rock,” Curb Your Enthusiasm,” “Glee,” “Modern Family,” and “The Office.”

Back in December, the writers unveiled their TV picks.

The PGA hands out its honor at a gala ceremony in Los Angeles on January 22, and the WGA has its awards dinner on February 5. Oscar nominees will be named on January 25, and the top awards will be given out on February 27.

”Toy Story 3,” ”Social Network” top film review list

LOS ANGELES: They are two movies that figure in Hollywood”s Oscar race, and there is good reason why. “Toy Story 3″ and “The Social Network” are the best-reviewed films of the year, according to website Rotten Tomatoes.

As 2010 draws to an end, members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, who received their Oscar nomination ballots this week, will be looking at which movies earned the most stars from critics, and Rotten Tomatoes provides answers.

The website (www.rottentomatoes.com) compiles reviews, scores them, and offers readers a way to separate the good from the bad and the just plain rotten.

Judging by their Tomatometer index, Buzz, Woody and all the toys from the Disney/Pixar animated film “Toy Story 3″ rank No. 1 with critics, scoring a 99 percent “fresh” rating based on an average from 247 reviews.

Facebook film “The Social Network” is not far behind with a 97 percent positive average from 258 reviews, but Rotten Tomatoes editor-in-chief Matt Atchity said that with a few days left in 2010, more critiques for the October release could possibly come in and tilt the balance.

“If five or six more positive reviews came in, it could change that. But what I can tell you is that it”s down to those two movies,” Atchity told Reuters when poring over the list of seeking the moniker, “best-reviewed film” of 2010.

“Toy Story 3″ was released in June, and all its reviews have been read and scored.

Atchity gave an outside chance to another Oscar hopeful, western “True Grit,” saying that if “another few dozen reviews” came in and were all positive, it could be in contention.

Currently “True Grit,” which premiered only a week ago, scores a 95 percent positive rating from a compilation of some 167 reviews, and is just behind November drama “The King”s Speech” with 96 percent from some 142 reviews saying it was a good choice at movie theaters.

For reviews that are mixed — not easily deemed good or bad — Atchity and senior editor Tim Ryan said they sometimes contact the critics to discuss whether that reviewer was positive or negative toward a film.

Atchity said that in the past, generally speaking, there has been a good correlation between the best-reviewed films of the year and Academy Award nominees.

“Reviewers and academy members are both made up of film professionals, and they both know good films,” he said.

Academy members give out nominations on January 25, and award winners will be named at a ceremony on February 27.

Meanwhile, the question of which movies are the best-reviewed begs the opposite of what titles were the most rotten. Atchity and Ryan said they had not perused final numbers yet, but a quick look at the site shows little-known title “Vampires Suck” with only three positives from a total 71 reviews for a 4 percent rotten rating.

They are not alone, big-time Hollywood studio production “The Last Airbender” from “Sixth Sense” director M. Night Shyamalan scored a mere 6 percent positive ranking.

Following is a list of the best-reviewed movies on Rotten Tomatoes, organized by their month of their release date:

January – “Fish Tank” – 90% positive with 127 reviews

February – “A Prophet” (Une Prophete) 97% with 142 reviews

March – “How to Train Your Dragon” – 98% with 156 reviews

April – “Exit Through the Gift Shop” – 98% with 93 reviews

May – “The Father of My Children” (Le Pere De Mes Enfants) 91% with 54 reviews

June – “Toy Story 3″ – 99% with 247 reviews

July – “The Kids Are All Right” – 94% with 192 reviews

August – “Animal Kingdom” – 96% with 108 reviews

September – “The Town” – 94% with 201 reviews

October – “The Social Network” – 97% with 258 reviews

November – “The King”s Speech” – 96% with 142 reviews

December – “True Grit” – 95% with 167 reviews

Pakistan Heading Towards mid term polls

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has announced to quit the coalition government after Azam Swati was fired as Federal Minister by the Prime Minister of Pakistan. The decision was taken in the meeting of JUI. After announcement of the decision Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani wanted to meet Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman at his residence; however Maulana did not meet and excused. According to sources, Federal Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Rehman Malik and Khurshid Shah also telephoned Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman but Maulana simply refused to talk to them. Qazi Hussain Ahmed said Maulana Fazl-ur-Rehman will have to part ways with the government for revival of MMA. It is expected that Qazi Hussain Ahmad will meet Maulana today in Islamabad and during this meeting they will also discuss the matter of coalition among all the religious parties. After separation of JUI from the government, chances of MMA’s coalition have increased.

On the other hand the MQM has also strongly condemned the speech of Sindh Home Minister Dr. Zulfiqar Mirza delivered by him before the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry and accused him of threatening the Urdu speaking people. Mirza had insinuated that Karachi’s businessmen were equally to blame for the city’s law and order problem because they contributed large sums of Zakat and extortion money to militant organizations involved in terror activities and by donating large sums of money to religious organizations  without properly identifying their antecedents, they were a party to the growing terrorism in the country. The statement could create bitterness between the MQM and PPP and harm the Sindh coalition government. In swift reaction of the statement, the MQM’s Rabita Committee held an emergency joint session in Karachi and London to discuss this “provocative speech”. The meeting demanded the top leadership of PPP to take a serious note of the “unwarranted speech” and ask the Home Minister to explain his position. MQM has told that remaining in the coalition or quitting the coalition Government was for the Rabita Committee to decide as the party always takes important decisions at this forum. Altaf Hussain has telephonically contacted Ch. Shujaat Hussain also to discuss the present political situation.

Islamabad is humming with rumors that the country was moving towards mid term polls, as following withdrawal of support by JUI (F) and highly unpredictable attitude of the MQM has left Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani with no option but to go for snap polls. The differences between PPP and JUI (F) are unlikely to subside as claims of Azam Swati about alleged corruption in the Hajj arrangements which had brought bad name to the country and he wrote letters to the President and the Prime Minister but instead of taking any stern action against the culprits, the Minister was sacked. Azam Swati is fully backed by Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

The PPP-led government has already lost its credibility, as it could not fulfill any of its pledges made with the people and could not provide any relief to the common man against mischief of mongers who were at their free will to fix the prices of daily used commodities according to their choices. “Sugar mafia” has proved highly powerful that government had to move step back and wind up the action against them. The government could not come up to the expectations of the people who were facing the ever worst inflation of the Pak history. The government has pushed the people towards a situation that would compel them for suicide.

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif has recently given a clear statement that he can no longer back such a government, which doesn’t seem to be ready for a ‘change for the better’ and would endorse a ‘constitutional change’. All plans that accept the current President and Prime Minister are not likely to be endorsed as events in the past several months show; they are part of the problem not a solution. Prime Minister Gilani has also recently announced that “Parliamentary change would be acceptable”. He showed his willingness to accept political change. In the wake of growing speculation over regime change Pakistan needs an in house change or mid term polls. The Government should bring the nation out of this uncertainty at earliest possible.

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