Two Westerners kidnapped in Pakistan held by Taliban

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Two Western aid workers kidnapped in Pakistan in January are being held by the Pakistan Taliban near the border with Afghanistan, a senior militant commander told Reuters on Saturday.  

Gunmen stormed a house in Multan in southern Punjab province on Jan. 19 and drove away with two foreigners — one an Italian citizen and the other believed to be a German.  

“The two NGO (non-governmental organization) workers who were kidnapped in Multan nearly a month ago are in our custody near the border. We haven’t made any demands yet,” a senior commander of the Pakistan Taliban said.  

“They are in good health.”  

A Punjab provincial police chief said last month the foreigners were being held for ransom.   

Criminal gangs often target foreign aid workers in Pakistan in hope of securing large ransoms for their release. Pakistani officials say militant groups such as the Taliban are also involved in kidnappings.       

The senior commander said the Westerners were being held by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an umbrella group of Pakistani militant factions formed in 2007 which is also allied with the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda.  

In January, a Kenyan aid worker and his Pakistani driver went missing in southern Sindh province. A British doctor with the International Committee of the Red Cross was kidnapped by gunmen from the southwestern city of Quetta on Jan. 5.  

Last year, American aid worker Warren Weinstein was kidnapped from the central Pakistani city of Lahore. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for Weinstein’s abduction in December.  

In July, a Swiss couple was kidnapped from the southwestern Baluchistan province by the Pakistani Taliban.  

Such kidnappings in Pakistan put off long-term investors. Foreign direct investment in Pakistan fell 37 percent to $531.2 million in the second half of 2011 from $839.6 million in the final six months of 2010. AGENCIES

Federer to face Isner in Davis Cup singles

 

Roger Federer will face John Isner in the second singles match Friday when Switzerland takes on the United States in the first round of the Davis Cup.

 

Switzerland s 28th-ranked Stanislas Wawrinka opens the series against eighth-ranked Mardy Fish on the indoor clay courts at 7,000-capacity Fribourg Forum.

 

Isner lost both matches he played Federer, each time on hard courts, and said he aims to serve well and play quick points.

 

“I don t want to be getting in 15-ball rallies with Roger from the baseline  cause that probably won t bode well for me,” the 17th-ranked Isner said. “I m going to need to play aggressive, play-first strike tennis and see how it goes.”

 

Fish, who has a 2-0 career record against Wawrinka, is satisfied to be opening the series.

 

“I would prefer to play first. On a team note, I would like to try to get the team off to a good start,” Fish said.

 

In Sunday s scheduled reverse singles, the third-ranked Federer is set to face Fish, followed by Wawrinka against Isner.

 

U.S. captain Jim Courier will give 19-year-old Ryan Harrison a Davis Cup debut on Saturday, partnering Mike Bryan in doubles against Federer and Wawrinka, who won Olympic gold in doubles in Beijing.

 

Still, that plan could alter depending how deep Fish and Isner go in their singles matches.

 

“We ll see as we go,” Courier said. “That s the team we are nominating now, but certainly things can change given whatever happens (Friday).”

 

Bryan s twin brother, Bob, is unavailable after his first child was born last week.

 

The U.S. has a 2-1 edge on Switzerland in Davis Cup encounters, though each series went with home advantage on hard courts.

 

The Americans  dream team of Courier, Andre Aggasi, John McEnroe and Pete Sampras won the 1992 final played at Fort Worth, Texas, and a first-round series when Federer was unavailable in 2009 at Birmingham, Alabama.

 

A 19-year-old Federer won all three of his rubbers to lead the Swiss to victory in a 2001 first-round match in his home city Basel.
 

Hearing of PM’s contempt case gets underway in SC

TrendPK.com

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday started hearing of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s contempt case, TrendPK reports.

Gilani has challenged the contempt indictment verdict through an intra-court appeal on Wednesday which is being heard by an eight-member SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

PM’s counsel and veteran lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan is currently giving his arguments before the jury against the court summons issued to PM Gilani to appear on February 13 and face indictment over his failure in reopening Swiss money laundering cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Gilani, in his appearance in the Supreme Court on January 19, has cited Zardari’s immunity as explanation for his refusal to obey the court’s order to ask Switzerland to re-open corruption cases. TrendPK

PM Gilani appeals against summons for indictment

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s prime minister Wednesday appealed against a court summons to face a contempt indictment next week, challenging an order that could ultimately force his weak government into early elections.

Pakistan’s highest court on February 2 summoned Yousuf Raza Gilani to appear on February 13 to face indictment, impatient over the government’s refusal to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

It was a shock move from the Supreme Court that sharply escalated pressure on the embattled prime minister a year before his government would become the first in the history of Pakistan to complete an elected term in office.

Gilani’s lawyer Aitzaz Ahsan said he based the appeal on precedents set by top courts in Australia, Britain, France, India and the United States.

“My objection is that the court in its order on February 2 cited no specific reasons for initiating contempt of court proceedings against the prime minister,” he told reporters.

Gilani had appeared before the Supreme Court on January 19, refusing to back down over citing Zardari’s immunity as explanation for his refusal to obey the court’s order to ask Switzerland to re-open corruption cases.

The Swiss shelved the cases in 2008, when Zardari took office.

If convicted of contempt, the prime minister could be jailed for up to six months and disqualified from public office.

Ahsan said there were arguments against indicting the prime minister.

“The president enjoyed immunity and the Swiss authorities have also closed the case. I should not comment further on this issue,” he said.

In order to hear the appeal, the Supreme Court will need to constitute a larger bench of nine judges — not the seven who ordered him to appear.

The court will hear the appeal on Thursday, apparently the only available gap in a tight schedule before the February 13 summons.

Although Supreme Court Judge Nasir-ul-Mulk said there were grounds to proceed against Gilani, members of the government accuse judges of plotting with the army to wage a witch-hunt against the prime minister and president.

Legal experts say that Gilani can only avoid being charged by appealing, apologising or promising to write to the Swiss.

The allegations against Zardari were frozen by a Pakistani political amnesty imposed in 2007, which the courts overturned in late 2009.

Tainted by corruption allegations, Zardari is nicknamed “Mr 10 Percent” and spent 11 years in jail on charges ranging from corruption to murder, although his supporters point out that he was never convicted.

Zardari and his late wife, prime minister Benazir Bhutto, were suspected of using Swiss bank accounts to launder about $12 million in alleged bribes paid by companies seeking customs inspection contracts in Pakistan in the 1990s.

A Swiss prosecutor has since said it would be “impossible” to reopen the case against Zardari since he benefits from immunity as a head of state.

Former Supreme Court judges said they were not convinced of the grounds for appeal, but said the matter would have to be decided quickly.

“They can simply prolong the case for two or three weeks but apparently they have no solid ground in their defence. They have not come up with a satisfactory plea so far,” said Rashid Rizvi, a former Supreme Court judge.

One former chief justice called on the government to resign.

“It will be good for the country if the government quits and holds elections. The current situation is crippling the economy and people are dying because of poverty and lawlessness,” Fakhruddin Ebrahim told AFP. AGENCIES

PM Gilani says he will respect court verdict

ISLAMABAD: Embattled Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said Friday he will respect the outcome of a supreme court move to indict him on contempt charges.

The Supreme Court on Thursday ordered Gilani to appear before it on February 13, to be indicted with contempt for failing to pursue corruption cases against president Asif Ali Zardari.

The shock announcement threatens to plunge his weak government deeper into crisis and force early elections within months.

“I will go there and I will present my stance before the court,” Gilani told reporters in the eastern city of Lahore.

He said the matter was “sub-judice” and he should not comment on the issue, but added that he “will respect the court order” and reiterated his opposition to conflict between state institutions.

Supreme Court judge Nasir-ul-Mulk told the court Thursday there were grounds to proceed against Gilani over the government’s refusal to follow a court order and ask Swiss authorities to re-open graft cases against Zardari.

Switzerland shelved the cases in 2008, when Zardari took office.

The government argued that Zardari has immunity from prosecution while head of state and accused judges of plotting with the military to wage a witch-hunt against him.

The prime minister told parliament late Thursday he will appear in the Court.

“I have attended the court when summoned in the past and I will attend again now,” he said, adding that “everybody should follow the constitution”. AGENCIES

PIC deaths: London lab declares Isotab as contaminated medicine

 

A meeting headed by Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif was held in Lahore to discuss the issue of spurious medicines. A sample report of the medicines tested in London was presented in the meeting.

 

According to the report, Isotab samples were heavily contaminated with Pyrimethamine, which is commonly used as anti-malaria.

 

Isotab was manufactured by a Karachi based company Efroz.

 

Meanwhile, doctors committee headed by Dr Javed Akram suggested that Folik Acid injections should be used to save patients from further.
 

Killer PIC drug detected: CM

 

The killer drug is known as Isotab and according to UK report it contained anti-malaria drug in it. The CM also alleged the dengue epidemic was a ‘plot’ hatched by a high personality from Islamabad. In a press conference Shahbaz Sharif has said the samples from victims’ bloods and bone marrow were sent to the UK.

 

A drug manufactured by Eferoze contained 50 percent of anti-malaria substance. The antidote to fatal drug has been prepared, informed the CM. The factory which produced the drug is located in Sindh and has been sealed. The names of the owners of the factory have been put on the Exit Control List, informed the CM.

 

He alleged the dengue epidemic was a plot hatched by a high level Islamabad personality who wanted funerals from each street of Lahore. He said he would reveal the name of the plotter if the Supreme Court called him.
 

Solution to Syria crisis through talks: Abdullah Haroon

 

Speaking in the Security Council on the situation on the Middle East situation, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Abdullah Hussain Haroon on Tuesday expressed support for the efforts of the League of Arab States (LAS) to bring about a peaceful resolution of the situation in Syria. He emphasized the strong fraternal relations enjoyed by Pakistan with all Arab States.

 

Ambassador Haroon said Pakistan greatly values the role of regional organizations like the League of Arab States in promoting the cause of peace and development. Pakistan also supports regional initiatives leading to peaceful resolution of disputes. He lauded the efforts of the Qatari Prime Minister as well as the Secretary General of the League of Arab States in this regard.

 

He commended the League of Arab States, for seizing the initiative, and deploying its Observer Mission to Syria. He added that it indeed proved that great strides could be made in resolution of regional issues through regional mechanisms. “We hope that the efforts of the League would bear fruit through return of peace and normalcy to Syria, through the process of dialogue and negotiation, and without any resort to force and coercion”, he said.

 

Ambassador Haroon told the 15-member body that independence, unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Syria must be respected. Efforts to resolve the Syrian situation should be compliant with the principle of pacific settlement of disputes as enshrined in Chapter VI of the UN Charter.

 

The Ambassador further said, “We have to be mindful of the fact that whatever we decide in these hallowed and respected Chambers in the coming days would have long term implications for Syria as well as the Middle East, as a whole. The region can ill-afford further instability. The situation therefore requires collective analysis towards obtaining a solution”.

 

Ambassador Haroon called upon both sides to shun violence and pursue the path of dialogue and reconciliation and engage in result oriented and inclusive political process, leading to a peaceful resolution of the problem.

 

Italian shoemaker pays record rent at London store

 

Italian luxury shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo is close to agreeing a deal to pay a record UK rent at its Bond Street store that will break the 1,000m pounds ($1,576) per square foot mark for the first time, a source familiar with the deal told.

 

The deal would break the previous record of 965 pounds per square foot for the valuable Zone A front section of a store set by jeweler Piaget on the same glitzy central London shopping strip in December
2009.
 

German city’s parking fines are just the ticket

 

German authorities are giving parking violators in one city an unexpected break by issuing tickets without fines. The tickets, put on carelessly parked cars in Potsdam, include a fine of 0 euros and the cheerful message “Glueck gehabt” (Lucky you).

 

The new approach is designed to admonish motorists without hitting them in the wallet.
 

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