LONDON — Cricketer turned politician Imran Khan called Thursday for the army to withdraw from Pakistan's tribal areas and for talks with the Taliban, warning that the country faced "catastrophe" otherwise.
Khan said the US-Pakistan military offensive in the areas bordering Afghanistan was turning locals massively against the United States and boosting support for the militants.
US drone strikes on militants were sparking "anger and hatred" in the area, said Khan, who leads the marginal Tehrik-e-Insaf (Movement for Justice).
"The solution is to hold a dialogue with the militants," he told an audience at the Chatham House foreign policy thinktank in London. "The solution is to win them onto our side, not to bomb them with airstrikes."
Otherwise, he warned: "If we continue with this military operation we are facing a catastrophe."
The militants operating in the tribal areas did not share the beliefs of the Afghan Taliban, who wanted to create an Islamist state, he said.
"In my opinion, they are political Taliban, they are not religious Taliban.
"They will fade away as soon as the Pakistan army moves back and dialogue is held," he added.
Khan said that Pakistan's former military ruler Pervez Musharraf once described him as "a terrorist without a beard" for suggesting talks with the militants, but now it was an idea being promoted by others.
"Now even (Afghan President) Hamid Karzai considers (Taliban supreme leader) Mullah Omar to be a brother," Khan added, to laughter from the audience.
He also criticised the tactics of the US military surge in Afghanistan.
"The only way I see the surge being effective is if they use their muscle to get the Taliban to the negotiating table.
"If they use the surge for more bloodshed, I can guarantee they will leave behind -- because they will leave -- a far more radical government than the one it replaced."
A US drone strike in the lawless northwest border area Thursday targeted Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud, officials said, although the militia denied reports that he was among 10 killed.

The Pakistan captain Mohammad Yousuf has branded team-mate Salman Butt "selfish" after being run out by the opener to leave the tourists in a seemingly hopeless position at the end of day two of the third Test against Australia. Butt not only ran out his captain and his team's best batsman in the last 30 minutes of play but then compounded his error by doing the same shortly after to his team's next-best batsman, Umar Akmal.
The two costly run-outs left Pakistan on 94 for four at stumps at Bellerive Oval in reply to Australia's massive first-innings total of 519 for eight declared, still needing another 226 runs to avoid the follow-on.The Australia captain, Ricky Ponting, said after the end of play he would likely enforce the follow-on given the forecast of rain for each of the last three days of this match.
"We are not playing for self, we are playing for country," said Yousuf, who also branded Butt "lazy", at the close of play. "I am 35 years old, he is 25 years old, why not take three runs?"
The Yousuf run-out occurred after the Pakistan captain had played a splendid off-drive off Doug Bollinger and, having run two, called for an easily-achievable third run. But, despite the fact it was Yousuf that was running to the danger end, Butt stood his ground at the non-striker's end, leaving his captain stranded - as he would also do later when Akmal called for a single off the bowling of Nathan Hauritz. Yousuf lingered for what seemed an eternity after the run-out as he glared at his partner before trudging from the field.
"I just stopped there and didn't say anything but I was very sad because of him," said Yousuf. "He is just 25 years old and he can't run and that is why I was just standing there."
Yousuf said Butt, who ended the day not out on 34 - and along with not-out batsman Shoaib Malik is the team's last remaining specialist batsman - now owes his team a big innings when play resumes tomorrow.
"We will try to lift him and play out the whole day tomorrow," he said of Butt. "We are not out of the match still and maybe both players can bat until tomorrow evening."
But Yousuf admitted his team faced a huge task to prevent a record 12th successive Test defeat at the hands of Australia. "It will be difficult for us to save the game now but it's a very flat wicket. And if we play for country and try to survive sessions and not go for runs then maybe we can save the game."

ISLAMABAD: Federal Health Minister Makhdoom Shahabuddin told the National Assembly on Tuesday that the swine flu vaccine would reach Pakistan within a week.

In contrast with the widely accepted medical opinion, he said, swine flu was not that harmful and could easily be cured adding sufficient medicine was available with the government to cure the virus.

“In Pakistan, the first case was detected in August 2009 and the government has taken the necessary preventive measures,” said Shahabuddin.

The health minister told the House that Tammy Flu, a curative capsule has
been distributed across the country and 50,000 capsules have been provided to Punjab, 30,000 to Sindh and 8,000 each to Balochistan and the NWFP.

He said the vaccine would reach Pakistan within one week, as only 12 companies in the world were manufacturing this preventive vaccine and supply it only to governments through the World Health Organisation, not any individual. Shahabuddin told the House that an awareness drive was being initiated to inform the general public about preventive measures.

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Plan to attack parliament foiled: Rehman Malik

232 suicide attacks took place during eight years: Senate told Associated Press

KARACHI: In an effort to curb the spate of violence in Karachi, a meeting between representatives of the Pakistan People’s Party and Muttahida Qaumi Movement at the Governor’s House on Sunday resolved that all those behind targeted killings in the city would be dealt with sternly without regard to their political affiliation.
By the time the meeting ended on Sunday night at least 10 people had been gunned down in the city, taking the death toll in four days of violence to more than 35.

The meeting was convened by Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ibad and was attended, among others, by federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Sindh Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah (who represented the PPP) and federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr Farooq Sattar (who and the governor represented the MQM).
Announcing the decisions taken at the three-hour meeting, Mr Malik said the nature of the ongoing violence was neither political nor ethnic because criminals were behind it. In the main, land grabbers, drug barons, human traffickers and other criminals who wanted to destabilise the provincial metropolis were killing people under the garb of various peace committees, said Mr Malik.
The minister said such elements were misusing their purported links with the PPP or MQM to drive a wedge between the two coalition partners in Sindh. However, it had been decided that stern action would be taken against all the elements behind the killings, regardless of their political affiliations, if any.
Mr Malik announced that in matters relating to the violence and the subsequent dialogue between the two parties, only he and Chief Minister Shah had been authorised to speak on behalf of the PPP and Dr Sattar and Governor Ibad on behalf of the MQM.
He said that during the meeting, participants held consultations with President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and MQM chief Altaf Hussain.
Mr Malik said every issue of importance was discussed thoroughly because Karachi was the country’s economic hub and the government wanted to spare no efforts to restore peace.
Dr Sattar said the interior minister had assured the MQM that all those who were involved in targeted killings would be arrested and given due punishment and there would be no discrimination or favour.
The government had also promised to use all its resources to jointly foil any future conspiracies, he said. The Baloch living in Karachi would never be left at the mercy of drug barons and land grabbers.
Dr Sattar expressed the hope that all decisions taken at the meeting would be implemented in letter and spirit.
Chief Minister Shah said some people involved in the killings had been claiming that they were PPP or MQM loyalists. All such elements would be dealt with strictly.He said additional powers had been given to Rangers to maintain law and order in the city.
Syed Sardar Ahmad, Babar Ghauri, Adil Siddiqui and Dr Saghir Ahmad represented MQM at the meeting and PPP was represented by Manzoor Wassan, Rafique Engineer, Syed Murad Ali Shah, Mian Rashid Rabbani and Ali Mardan Shah.

Tags: mqm,ppp,karachi violence

Meanwhile, a senior officer in Jammu said a BSF jawan Shurvir Singh was killed in cross- border firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district of IHK on Monday. There was a heavy cross-border firing from Pakistan on Sabzain Forward Defence Location (FDL) along LoC in Poonch district around 1130 hours today, the Army officer alleged. There were also reports of firing of two rockets on the forward post in the same area at 1135 and 1145 hours respectively, he alleged.

 

HOBART: Young Pakistani middle order promising batsman Umar Akmal has come to fitness problems due to muscle pull amid practice session here in Hobart on Sunday evening, Geo news reported.

He was a due inclusion in third cricket Test match against Australia to be played here from 14 January due to his constant performance in all forms of cricket.

It may be mentioned during his short Test cricket career, the stylish and brave Umar has struck one brilliant century and four half centuries, averaging in 60s. 

FAISALABAD: Value Added Textile Sector has welcomed the federal Cabinet Committee's decision to cap export of cotton yarn and termed it a right decision towards a right direction and partial solution of the prevailing crisis. Speaking at a joint press conference at Pakistan Textile Exporters Association headquarters here on Saturday, Khurrum Mukhtar chairman, Sohail Pasha Vice chairman PTEA, Rana Mushtaq Khan central chairman Pakistan Hosiery Manufacturers Association (PHMA) and Rana Ikhlaq Ahmed chairman Pakistan Cotton Power Looms Association said that for the first time in the history of Pakistan, requirements of VATS have been officially recognized at the highest forum. It was said the cabinet decision will help increase the immediate availability of yarn by 20 percent. They said that average cotton yarn export during the last three years was calculated at 40.59 million kilogram per month. However, contrary to this, cabinet committee has capped its export at 50 million kilogram per month. This decision would only fulfill the requirement of the VATS partially. However, government's attitude and direction to handle this issue is appreciable, they said and particularly thanked President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, Finance Minister Shaukat Tareen and Textile Minister Rana Mohammad Rafooq Saeed Khan for officially accepting the demand of VATS at highest forum. Lamenting over the jugglery of figures, they said that some vested interests have succeeded convincing cabinet committee to cap the export of cotton yarn at exaggerated limit of 50 million kilogram per month. "We have discretion to challenge these figures for its revision in according to the actual export of last three years," they added. They said that capping of cotton yarn export at 50 million kg per month would help to partially ease the situation but for its permanent solution government will have to revise this figure to actual average export of last three months. "We are waiting for the impact of this decision on local market," they said and added that VATS would be forced to revise the export limit if this decision failed to yield positive result in the local markets. Khurram Mukhtar clarified that VATS was not against spinning sector. It is backbone of the VATS and we want its steady growth subject to the availability of yarn at reasonable rates to the VATS. It was in this respect that we support demand of 2% subsidy for the spinning sector, they added. Regarding load shedding of electricity, they said that they are in contact with the concerned quarters and hopefully this issue would also be resolved within next few days. Rana Mushtaq Khan central chairman PHMA said that decision of the cabinet committee had already been notified while Trade Development Authority of Pakistan has been entrusted task to monitor the export of cotton yarn on first come first serve basis. Reiterating other demands of VATS, they demanded withdrawal of cross subsidies on gas to bring down the prices of gas for the textile sector.

WASHINGTON: The U.S. military does not intend to put ground troops in Yemen, a country where al Qaeda operatives have become an increasing threat, Gen. David Petraeus said while talking to a US-based news channel in an interview to be aired Sunday. However, the United States plans to more than double its security assistance funding to Yemen, from $70 million to more than $150 million, Petraeus, head of U.S. Central Command, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa. Petraeus, who recently returned from his visit to the Arab nation, said Yemen's foreign minister was "quite clear that Yemen does not want to have American ground troops there. And that's a good -- good response for us to hear, certainly." Asked on whether there were plans to send troops there, he replied, "No, of course, we would always want a host nation to deal with a problem itself. We want to help. We're providing assistance." "Again, we haven't discussed the assistance that we have provided in Yemen, and I'm afraid I won't here today," he said. The general said the United States has been concerned about al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula for several years, saying, "Without question, it has ramped up over the course of the last year or more in particular, with training camps and so forth there." Still, in comments made off camera, Petraeus said the group "isn't industrial strength." Yemen President Ali Abdullah Saleh has told the United States that Yemen rather handle al Qaeda on its own, and the United States plans to honor that, Petraeus said. "It threatened the embassies of various countries that are important to Yemen and, in fact, assassinated some government officials," Petraeus said, referring to the al Qaeda branch in Yemen. "So there is an enormous incentive here for President Saleh and the government of Yemen, indeed, to confront al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the growth that we have seen in its training camp structure and the other infrastructure that they've been able to establish in recent years." Petraeus said al Qaeda's growth in Yemen became increasingly worrisome for him two years ago. Washington began to view the ancestral home of al Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden as a possible haven for the group as early as 2001. As al Qaeda was pushed out of Saudi Arabia -- and under pressure in Iraq, Pakistan and Afghanistan -- they took refuge in Yemen, he said. Last Sunday, the United States decided to briefly close its embassy in Yemen after intelligence suggested that four al Qaeda operatives may be planning an attack on the compound. The embassy reopened Tuesday. Britain, too, closed its embassy Sunday, citing security concerns, while other foreign embassies beefed up security or closed to the public. Yet, Petraeus said Yemen is not the most important locale in the U.S. war on terror. "That would likely still be the western Pakistan-Afghanistan border area," he said. "We have not devoted the kind of resources to it that is necessary. I know what it takes. We built an intelligence structure, we built an entire organization overall in Iraq to conduct counterinsurgency operations. And it requires a significant commitment. "We are now making that kind of commitment to Afghanistan, but we had not before." The general added that strides have been made in the fight against terrorists. "I think there's been progress overall over the course of the last year against al Qaeda," Petraeus said. "I think that in general its capability has diminished, but that's only, again, a relative judgment ... Al Qaeda does still have an ability there to carry out periodic horrific attacks, and so we must maintain the pressure on Al Qaeda wherever it is found."

KARACHI: Unknown assailants have shot dead another 11 persons in last 15 hours in separate parts of Karachi while according to police calculation, the death toll by target killings in Karachi has risen to 39 people in last 3 days and scores another sustained injuries, Geo news Sunday reported. According to police sources, the incidents of fierce clashes and indiscriminate firing remained continuous in Lyari, Garden and many others parts of metropolis on Saturday while in the latest incidents, a total of 11 more people have been gunned down. The areas witnessed the target shootings included Lyari, Garden, Surjani Town, Kharadar, Aaram Bagh and Eid Gah localities in metropolis city as 3 persons, identified as Aamir Baloch, Shakir Baloch and Nawaz Baloch, were lately gunned down in Lyari. Najmi Alam, president PPP Karachi division told Geo news, three fell victims to target killing yesterday belonged to PPP city area and called on government for arrest of responsible assailants. Police and rangers officials also claimed presence of rising tension in many parts of Karachi including Lyari, Garden, Kharadar, Aagra Taaj and Usmanabad areas besides arrests of many suspected youths who are being investigated.

KARACHI: Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad has called a meeting of ruling parties as the tension mounted between the PPP and MQM due to current wave of target killings in Karachi. According to sources, the meeting will take place at the Governor House on Sunday. It may be reminded that the meeting has been called in the backdrop of harsh statements exchanged by the leaders of PPP and MQM against each other. Earlier, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah also stopped PPP’s ministers from giving statements against the MQM.

The blast happened in Balida Town, a poor neighbourhood of the southern city, Pakistan's commercial hub.
The blast's cause was not immediately known, but police said explosives had stored at the house may have gone off.
In December, a suicide bomb attack on a Shia Muslim march in Karachi, claimed by the Taliban, killed 43 people and injured dozens more.
"There was a blast in a house in [Karachi's] Balida Town in which six people were killed. The house collapsed. We are trying to ascertain the exact nature of the blast," senior police official Abdul Majeed Dasti told the AFP news agency.
He said hand grenades and a Kalashnikov rifle had been found at the site of the explosion.
Karachi police chief Waseem Ahmad said explosives stored in the house appeared to have caused the explosion.
"It seems that the house was being used by terrorists. We are taking utmost care in removing the rubble," Mr Ahmad.
It was not clear whether the dead were residents of the house or were passers-by.
Pakistan has seen an upsurge in violence in recent months.
Hundreds of civilians have died in bomb attacks as Pakistan's army concludes an offensive against Taliban militants in South Waziristan and surrounding areas.

Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has allowed the country’s military to carry out air strikes on the identified Taliban havens located in the intricate mountain terrains in Tribal Areas.

During his meeting with Pakistani Army Chief Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on Thursday, Zardari, in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, approved the coordinated efforts of the armed forces against militants.

“Matters related to operational preparedness of Pakistan Army, security situation and the ongoing drive against militancy and extremism came under discussion,” The Nation quoted a statement released after the meeting, as saying.

Earlier, Kayani briefed Zardari about the operational decisions taken during the meeting of high command of the Pakistan Army on Thursday, wherein the Air Chief was also present.

Kayani also told Zardari about the situation arising after a recent statement by the Indian army chief about the Indian potential to confront both Pakistan and China at the same time.


Sources said Zardari was also briefed about the decisions at the cabinet committee of defence under Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani about the maintenance of minimum deterrence.

KARACHI: Pakistan is a peace-loving nation and we are willing to go an extra mile to resolve all our issues through dialogue. We sincerely hope that the solutions we achieve are just, principled and long lasting. However, our desire for peace must not be taken as a sign of weakness.

ISLAMABAD: The parliamentary committee on constitutional reforms continued on Wednesday to chip away at the president’s discretionary powers and agreed to bind the president and governors to consult public office holders before appointing caretaker governments.

The committee, which met under Senator Raza Rabbani at the Parliament House here, reviewed articles of the Constitution (222 to 226) relating to the electoral process, sources told Dawn.

On Tuesday, the committee had agreed to abolish the presidential powers to appoint chief election commissioner (CEC), besides extending the CEC’s term from three to five years.

Article 224(1) states: “Provided that on dissolution of an assembly on completion of its term, the president, in his discretion, or, as the case may be, the governor, in his discretion but with the previous approval of the president, shall appoint a caretaker cabinet.”


Former president Ziaul Haq had amended the constitution in 1985 to empower the head of state to dissolve the National Assembly. Governors got powers to dissolve provincial assemblies.

It was removed through the 13th Amendment in 1997. The clause was re-introduced by Gen Pervez Musharraf through the 17th Amendment in 2003.

According to the 1973 Constitution, the president or the governors could not dissolve assemblies before the completion of their five-year term and only the prime minister or the chief minister of a province could advise the president or the governor to dissolve the assembly before time.

The parliamentary committee had already agreed to abolish Article 58-2(B) from the Constitution.

The committee will meet again on Thursday morning to review the articles dealing with Islamic provisions.

It is also expected to discuss articles relating to the proclamation of emergency and suspension of fundamental rights.
Tags: onstitutional reforms committee,Raza Rabbani