NEWS

MUZAFFARABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari urged the world community on Tuesday to pay attention to the Kashmir issue and expressed the hope that superpowers would take a decision in favour of the people of Kashmir.
“If the world is attentive towards Pakistan and its issue(s) then it will have to talk about the Kashmir issue,” he said in an address to a special joint sitting of the AJK Legislative Assembly and AJK Council during his first visit to Muzaffarabad as president.
Pakistan, he said, considered that peace in Kashmir was linked to peace in the region. “I think time is near when superpowers and countries of this region will have to make serious decision about Kashmir.”
The president said Pakistan never objected to India’s friendship with the United States and did not grumble about anything else because it knew that neighbours could not be changed. But they (India) too should accept this reality.
“We are a very prominent neighbourhood. We happen to be 180 million Pakistanis who have the heart of lions with Kashmir leading them,” he said.
President Zardari regretted that whenever dictators and oppressors came to power in Pakistan they pursued a policy of “appeasement” whereas “we have always talked about dialogue with India on equal terms” with emphasis on the rights of Kashmiris.
He said “today’s developed democratic India” vainly believed that it could suppress any nation by force.
“Perhaps they think Kashmiris are a weak nation. But they have seen for themselves that Kashmiris have sacrificed their sons and daughters but did not quit their popular slogan of Kashmir becoming Pakistan.”
Referring to the Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s famous statement that we will fight for Kashmir for 1000 years, Mr Zardari said he and Bilawal Bhutto would guarantee that.
However, he repeatedly stated that the war would be of thoughts, willpower and patience and avoided any mention of armed conflicts.
“Zulfikar Ali Bhutto did not say that he won’t fight with pen and mouth.”
In the same context, Mr Zardari said the imprisonment he had undergone for years was a war of patience for democracy.
“Democracy stands for giving rights to oppressed and downtrodden people and also to the Kashmiris,” he said.
“If Kashmiris say that whatever they do for Pakistan is not a favour then I am compelled to say that we don’t extend any favour to them either. Fighting your war is our duty from day one. It’s our own movement,” he added.
He said his attention had been drawn to the felling of trees in AJK which fetched up to Rs300 million a year to the state exchequer.
“Your trees keep waters flowing in Pakistan. I will ask this assembly to pass a resolution to completely ban timber felling and we will meet the shortfall,” he declared.
Referring to demands earlier raised by AJK Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider, the president said Kashmiris had the right over the waters flowing from their area.
“We will convey this issue of yours to the parliament. We have to make both Pakistan and Kashmir greener,” he said.
He declared that there would not be cut in AJK’s budget and Islamabad would ensure that this region got the maximum share.
Mr Zardari said that electing the AJK prime minister was the business of its assembly and Islamabad’s job was to work for Kashmir cause.

Tags: Azad Kashmir,Muzaffarabad,Kashmir issue,Raja Farooq,Azad Jammu and Kashmir Assembly

ISLAMABAD: Former President Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA), Ali Ahmed Kurd has observed that the issue of Balochistan cannot be solved until solving the issue of missing people.
Talking to a private TV channel while reacting on remarks of Justice Javed Iqbal during hearing of missing people, Ali Ahmed Kurd said that the issue of missing people is a big challenge for the Supreme Court of Pakistan and expressed his optimism regarding positive outcome on the issue.
Responding to a question, the lawyer’s leader said that the issue of missing person not only a sensitive issue of Balochistan but to the entire country.
He said that the issue of missing people is against the nature of people of Balochistan, therefore, a strong reaction is being seen in the province.
Commenting on restoration of deposed judges, Ali Ahmed Kurd said that the judges were restored due to historical struggle of the people of the country and the current judges owed to the people. He said that SC took some good decisions.
He said that without solving the issue of missing people, the logical end of struggle for judges’ restoration cannot be possible.
He informed that the number of missing people in hundreds, saying a list of 1000 missing people was handed over to Chief Minister Balochistan.

KARACHI: Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Friday that incidents of arson within minutes of the deadly blast which hit an Ashura procession in Karachi were carried out under a pre-planned conspiracy to cripple the country economically. Addressing traders and businessmen at the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), he said the objective of targeting business activities in the country’s financial hub was to destroy the national economy and state institutions.
He said that there were forces who want to break up Pakistan because they were not happy with its nuclear programme.
The minister drew the attention of the business leaders to news report that initially a little-known leader of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Asmatullah Shaheen, claimed responsibility for the blast, but later another militant leader disowned the claim.

If the TTP was not owning the blast, he said, there must be other forces bent upon destroying the country.
He said that it was obvious that the people behind the heinous crime wanted to cripple the economy which contributed taxes and revenue on which other state organs, including security forces, depended.
The minister said that without economic activities the state would not be able to collect taxes which were needed for national defence, development, health and education.
Therefore, the attack on Karachi’s businesses was carried out under a programme to bring the commercial and business hub to a standstill.
The minister admitted that the government might have made some mistakes, but said that one should keep in mind the wrong policies of successive governments, including the involvement in Afghan war against the Soviet Union.
At present, he said, many forces were working against Pakistan and were carrying out suicide blasts, adding that the role of Jash-i-Mohammad, Lakshar-i-Janghvi and India was known to everyone.
Mr Malik said that President Asif Ali Zardari had already warned of non-state actors who were bent upon destroying Pakistan.
He said the president must have made the statement on the basis of credible information because he had access to such developments and reports. “It’s now up to us how we look at this”.
The minister said that such attacks could not be carried out by Muslims because there could be no justification for killing innocent people participating in a religious procession.

Tags: Rehman Malik,Karachi blast,Karachi arson

GUJRANWALA: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Sunday said the CIA had agreements with Blackwater with respect to Afghanistan and Iraq but there was no such agreement regarding Pakistan.
Talking to media in Gujranwala, Rehman Malik said if the government found any clue of any agency's contacts with Blackwater then it will take action against it.
He said al-Qaeda, Taliban and banned religious outfits were involved in recent terrorist attacks in Pakistan. 
Rehman Malik also said the Taliban were fundamentally hired and professional assassins.
To a question, Rehman Malik said the government has clear evidence of Indian involvement in militant activities inside Balochistan.
About the arrested US nationals, he said they have been taken into custody on the information of US intelligence agencies and are being interrogated. — DawnNews

Tags: Rehman Malik,India Balochistan,RAW,Balochistan issue,Pakistani Taliban,Blackwater

QUETTA: Zakir Majeed Baloch’s sister on Sunday demanded of human rights groups to take notice of the ‘enforced disappearance’ of her missing brother.
Addressing a press conference at the Quetta Press Club, she said Zakir Majeed Baloch, Senior Vice Chairman of BSO (Baloch Students Organisation) Azaad, was picked up by intelligence agencies on June 8, 2009 in Balochistan’s Mastung area.
She said since then they received no knowledge on Zakir’s whereabouts. Police refused to register the First Information Report (FIR) which proves the local police station’s involvement in Zakir’s disappearance, she said.
She also demanded of the United Nations to take notice of her brother's ‘enforced disappearance’. — DawnNews 

Tags: Zakir Majeed Baloch,BSO - Azaad,Balochistan issue