NEWS

QUETTA: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s chief Nawaz Sharif Monday called on the government to honour its commitment and lashed out at the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) over its “delaying tactics” regarding the 17th amendment.
The PML-N chief was addressing the media in Quetta during his visit to Balochistan.
He also demanded the trial of former president Pervez Musharraf for “the extra-judicial murder of Nawab Akbar Bugti”.
Acknowledging the contribution of the Baloch leadership, Sharif said they were instrumental in abolishing the 8th amendment back in 1995.
He further said that merely apologising to the Baloch people would not resolve any of their problems. Nawaz called for the immediate recovery of all missing persons and called on the authorities to address the Baloch people’s grievances.
He also expressed his resolve to continue the struggle for the repealing of the “highly controversial and undesirable” 17th amendment. — DawnNews

Tags: Nawaz Sharif,17th amendment,Balochistan issue,missing persons

ISLAMABAD: The government has decided to give more powers to Rangers deployed in Karachi under the Anti-Terrorism Act (ATA), allowing the paramilitary force to arrest anyone involved in violence for 90 days, a source in the interior ministry told Dawn on Monday.

The decision was taken at a meeting presided over by Interior Minister Rehman Malik. The meeting focussed on target killings in Karachi and it was revealed in the meeting that 256 people had lost their lives because of target killings over the past six months in Karachi alone.

They belonged to various political and non-political parties. According to a breakup, 69 victims belonged to MQM, 60 to the MQM Haqiqi, 29 to the PPP, 24 to ANP and 41 to other organisations.

The meeting also took note of the inaction of security personnel deployed at the Boultan Market to take action against anti-social elements.

The meeting decided to give special powers to Rangers in Karachi to take prompt action, in case of any violence, for safeguarding lives and properties.

“Following directives of the prime minister, a committee headed by an additional secretary has been formed to look into target killings and it will submit its report every fortnight to the ministry,” he said.

In addition to this, police personnel in civvies would also be deployed, he said, adding that strict action would be taken against miscreants.

Experts, he said, from the NWFP had also been sent to Karachi to look into two other blasts in Qasba Colony and Paposhnagar before the Ashoora carnage.

“We have 32 GBs’ video footage of the incident and teams are probing the incident from different angles,” he said.

NO SUICIDE ATTACK: The minister said the bomb blast in the Karachi’s Ashura procession was not a suicide attack, but a planted bomb.

“The probe into Karachi blast has revealed that the bombing was not a suicide attack. The bomb was planted along the route of the procession.”

Mr Malik said that 80 per cent investigation into the incident had been completed and the team would submit its report within three days.
Tags: Rangers,Karachi,security,rehman malik

ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry has ordered that allegations of embezzlement of Rs7 billion by three former chiefs of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) be referred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for a comprehensive inquiry.

The issue was highlighted by Razaullah Khan of Karachi in an application requesting suo motu notice of the alleged misappropriation.

The applicant drew the attention of the chief justice to the fact that no action was taken by NAB although Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani had issued a directive for an inquiry into the allegations.In a special audit conducted at the request of the sports ministry, Lt Gen (retd) Tauqir Zia who headed the PCB from Dec 14, 1999, to December 2003, Sheheryar M. Khan from Dec 15, 2003, to October 2006, and Dr Nasim Ashraf from Oct 7, 2006, to August 2008, were found involved in irregular expenditures of millions of rupees.

“Case be forwarded to the NAB chairman for disposal,” the chief justice ordered on Monday while taking suo motu notice of the applicant’s complaint.

The report prepared by the Auditor General of Pakistan (AGP) for the period from July 2003 to June 30, 2008, highlighted purchase of luxury cars, award of contracts without following prescribed rules, recruitment without advertising posts and mismanagement of PCB’s assets as a common practice during the stints of the three former chairmen.

The audit had objected to unavailability of essential documents and violation of rules by the board in carrying out directives of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) in implementing different projects.

PCB’s annual expenditures swelled from Rs571 million in 2004 to Rs737 million in 2005, Rs832 million in 2006, Rs1.024 billion in 2007 and Rs1.8 billion in 2008 when Dr Nasim Ashraf left the job soon after former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf had resigned on Aug 18.

The PCB had a surplus budget of Rs1.051 billion in 2004 which dropped to a deficit of Rs130 million in 2008.

The chairmen exercised unlimited financial and administrative powers in violation of Article 35(2) of its constitution of 1995 which required its council (ad hoc committee) to specify financial powers of the chairman, the report said.

It said the PCB had entered into an agreement worth $42.6 million with a private television channel for the coverage of the game from 2003 to 2008 and despite repeated reminders no bidding documents were furnished.

The audit noticed wasteful expenditures on upkeep of 33 sports grounds where the board had no direct control or oversight. The board paid Rs7.14 million to two consultants for development projects which were later abandoned. Kit bags of Rs4 million were procured without floating tenders.

The finance committee of the PCB decided in 2005 that $1.1 million in its foreign currency accounts would be invested in local banks for better profits, but the decision was not implemented and the board suffered a loss of Rs66.89 million.
Tags: Chief Justice,Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry.PCB,NAB

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan and the United States are working on a plan to take joint military action against Taliban and launch coordinated attacks on both sides of the Pak-Afghan border, according to Gen Stanley McChrystal, Commander of the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) in Afghanistan.

He was talking to reporters at the residence of the US ambassador on Monday evening after holding talks with military commanders here and visiting Swat.
“In fact, we are developing a joint campaign plan so that we approach the entire problem together and as much as possible we can make our efforts synergistic.”
Gen McChrystal said strong partnership between the US and Pakistan was critical for counter-insurgency operations on both sides of the border.
“The most important thing we can do is to coordinate our operations with the Pakistan Army and then there is, of course, going to be political coordination.”
In contrast to some other US officials, who have been lecturing Pakistanis on the need to ‘do more’ in the fight against extremist elements, Gen McChrystal repeatedly called for ‘partnership’ between the two countries and said that differences should not detract them from their aims.
Referring to the often-discussed trust deficit between the two countries, he said the level of mistrust had declined but it needed to be narrowed.
Surprisingly, Gen McChrystal, did not broach either the Haqqani Network or the Quetta Shura – the two problems that have posed serious challenges to cooperation between the two countries.
Pakistan Army, which is engaged in a campaign against militant groups operating from its soil, has been accused of ignoring Afghanistan-focussed groups, prompting critics to claim that Islamabad being fearful of growing Indian influence in the war-torn country, was trying to preserve these factions as future assets for keeping its influence in Afghanistan.
Gen McChrystal, who was all praise for the military’s counter-insurgency campaign and the leadership of Army Chief Gen Kayani, said he had no reasons to doubt Pakistan Army’s sincerity.
“I’m hopeful of the time when the Haqqani Network, which is causing damage inside Afghanistan, is taken on by both of us jointly to reduce the damage they are causing. It is important that we together do that.”
About the Quetta Shura, he said that the best course was cooperation with Pakistan military. He opposed any direct action against the Shura.
“Taliban that threaten Afghanistan need to be pressured everywhere … Partnership with Pakistan is the best road to that as we strengthen the strategic partnership … that is the best way I think.”
He said that successes against Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan were interlinked and could not be achieved in isolation. “If Afghanistan suffers from instability it is going to be contagious.
“Everybody has a stake in coming out well.” On the issue of India using Afghanistan to destabilise Pakistan, he said, the complaints needed to be addressed. Although he said he did not have enough information to confirm or deny the allegations.
“If perceptions drive people to mistrust then there is a need to work on them.”

Tags: military operation stanley mcchrystal

SYDNEY: The opening bowling pair of Mohammad Asif and Mohammad Sami produced a lethal attack routing the Aussies for a mere 127 runs in the first innings on the opening day of the second Test match here at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG).

Pakistan in reply were 14 for no loss with Imran Farhat (9) and Salman Butt (3) at the crease when the play ended early due to bad light.

Mohammad Asif grabbed six wickets for 41 runs, his career best, while Mohammad Sami, playing for the first time in more than two years, dismissed Australia’s three top-order batsmen and Umar Gul claimed the last wicket.

The main scorers for Australia were Mitchell Johnson (38), Michael Hussey (28) and Nathan Hauritz (21) while Marcus North was the only other batsman to reach double figures.

Captain Ricky Ponting and opener Phillip Hughes, coming in for the injured Simon Katich, were got out for a duck as both were removed by Sami on successives deliveries.

Shane Watson, fresh from making his maiden Test century in Melbourne, opened the innings with Hughes and could score only six.

Earlier, captain Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat first on the rain-affected pitch. The play started after lunch in overcast conditions on a pitch with plenty of grass on it.

Australia made one change in their team with Phillip Hughes at the top of the order while Pakistan made three changes with bowlers Sami, Umar Gul and Danish Kaneria replacing injured Mohamamd Aamer, Abdul Rauf and Saeed Ajmal.

Australia: Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Ricky Ponting (captain), Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke, Marcus North, Brad Haddin, Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Peter Siddle, Doug Bollinger. 12th man: Clint McKay.

Pakistan: Mohammad Yousuf (captain), Imran Farhat, Salman Butt, Faisal Iqbal, Misbah-ul-Haq, Umar Akmal, Kamran Akmal, Mohammad Sami, Umar Gul, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria. 12th man: Khurram Manzoor.

ISLAMABAD: Any misadventure by India against Pakistan will be a strategic mistake and amount to putting itself on the road to destruction, the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, said here on Saturday.
Commenting on the Indian army chief’s statement about preparations to fight China and Pakistan simultaneously, Gen Tariq Majeed said: “Leave alone China, Gen Deepak Kapoor knows very well what the Indian armed forces cannot do and Pakistani armed forces can pull off militarily.”
He expressed doubt about the statement attributed to Gen Kapoor, saying he could not be so “outlandish in strategic postulations to put India on a self-destructive path”.
Gen Majeed, however, said that if the report were correct, the uncalled-for rhetoric only depicted a lack of strategic acumen.
The statement by Gen Majid followed a tit-for-tat reply the previous day to the Indian army chief by his Pakistan counterpart, Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, warning India against treading an adventurous path and declaring that the Pakistan Army was prepared to respond to any existing, potential or emerging threat.
An official told Dawn that Pakistan’s quest for peace in South Asia must not be misconstrued as weakness. “Pakistan’s armed forces have all the ability to frustrate evil designs of the enemy.” He lamented that instead of coming out with a positive response to Pakistan’s efforts for resumption of the stalled peace process, such irresponsible statements were emanating from New Delhi, along with claims of Kashmir being an integral part of India.

Tags: General Tariq Majid,General Deepak Kapoor,india pakistan armed forces,india pakistan relations..
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