Posts Tagged ‘Protest’

PML-N warns of long march

OKARA – PML-N Youth Wing Divisional President Imtiaz Butt has said the nation stands united under the leadership of Ex Prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharifagainst the federal government.
“The departure of the present corrupt and inefficient rulers is not far beyond. After the Supreme Court verdict, Prime Minister Gilani should part with powers. Besides in Pakistan, protests have also started in London,” he …

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Upper house: Protests, walkouts consume one-third of Senate’s session

The session lasted 23 hours and 10 minutes for nine sittings from April 30 to May 11. Each sitting started with an average delay of 41 minutes.

Protests, walkouts

Protests and walkouts disrupted the proceedings and consumed almost one-third, or 34%, of the session time.

In all nine sittings, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senators staged walkouts over the government’s refusal to implement the Supreme Court verdict in the contempt case against the prime minister. On three occasions, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) protested the federal government’s interference in provincial matters, drone attacks and reopening of Nato supply routes.

Meanwhile, the government’s allies in the upper house also staged walkouts.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement and the Awami National Party walked out of the house over the issue of provincial autonomy while the PML-Quaid protested over power outages and ministerial absence. During the eighth sitting, PML-Q even threatened to quit the coalition if the energy crisis was not solved.

Attendance

Since the Senate Secretariat does not make the attendance record public, FAFEN conducts a headcount of members at the beginning and end of each sitting and documents the actual time spent on the floor of the house by chairman, deputy chairman, leader of the house and the leader of the opposition.

On average, only 10 senators were present at the outset and 23 at the end of each sitting.

The leader of the house attended all the sittings and the leader of the opposition was present during seven sittings for 35% of the session time. A total of 102 minutes, or 7% of the session time, were consumed by breaks.

Although the quorum was visibly lacking at various stages of the session, it was pointed out once by an ANP senator during the seventh sitting. The chair rung the bells for five minutes, but due to persistent lack of quorum the proceedings remained suspended for 52 minutes.

Content

Though the session was called to debate the president’s address to the joint session of parliament in March, only 202 minutes, out of a total 1,390 minutes, were spent on the debate.

Twenty points of order consumed 11% of the total session time but none attracted the chair’s formal ruling. Unless the chair gives a formal ruling on a point of order, it does not lead to any output.

The upper house passed the Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Bill 2012, while four private members’ bills were introduced and sent to their respective standing committees.

Thirty-eight out of 91 starred questions (requiring oral replies) appearing on the agenda were taken up by the House. On average, four questions were asked per sitting. Additionally, 64 supplementary questions were raised.

Three out of 12 resolutions appearing on the agenda were adopted by the House. Two resolutions were adopted to condemn the burning of Quran by an American pastor, and another to condemn the bomb blast near ANP leader Amjal Khattak’s mausoleum. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2012.

Remembering a revered poet: Ajmal Khattak, a proponent of peace

His beloved Pakistan, the land Ajmal Khattak wished to see prosper and bloom, is in the midst of bloody and brutal turmoil, where sectarianism, intolerance and militancy has reached unprecedented levels.

Awami National Party (ANP), which he was whole-heartedly associated with throughout his life, is on the hit-list of Taliban militants.

Khattak, who was a former president of the ANP, is buried in a simple, non-descript graveyard, close to the GT Road in Akora Khattak of Nowshera district. One has to walk just a stone’s throw away to approach the white marble octagonal structure, located in the middle of the graveyard.

The scene inside reveals a shocking picture: concrete walls are pockmarked with shrapnel, debris litter the interior and mangled iron that once supported its dome precariously dangles on the sides. The grave itself suffered heavy damage, and labourers piled up earth over it.

The black marble tombstone lies broken in two pieces. One half carries Khattak’s name and the other has the day he died and a couplet-“O Pakhtuns don’t forget this austere Khattak, you may need such a rebel in the future again.”

Sacrilege and anger

Akora Khattak is a small town on the banks of River Indus on the GT Road, close to Attock crossing. Its name is traced back to Malik Akor Khan, grandfather of Pakhtun warrior and legendary poet Khushal Khan Khattak, who led an uprising of Pakthun tribesmen against Mughal Emperor Aurganzeb.

Of late, however, the town has received widespread attention for the wrong reasons in the international media as the birthplace of the Taliban movement.

This comes after many prominent militant figures studied at the local Jamia Haqqania. The seminary is situated across the road from Khattak’s mausoleum.

Commenting on the heinous attack, an office bearer of the local ANP chapter Tahir Mohmand told The Express Tribune that “to me it is like Baba died twice today.” Tahir was lost for words on the grisly incident. “Baba was not like any other politician, rather, a dervish in its true sense,” he stated.

Locals are also mulling a unique response, as on Saturday a Khushal Literary Jirga, an organisation formed by the late poet was deliberating to hold a poetry recital in protest against the attack. The jirga’s General Secretary Khan Mohammad Tanha told The Express Tribune that they can resist militants, but the poet’s message of peace and tolerance does not allow them to do that. “How can these people lack respect for hujra, mosque and grave?” he questioned.

Alternative discourse

Prominent analyst Khadim Hussain contextualises this attack as an attempt to eliminate cultural symbols. “It is meant to change the basic discourse with an alternative one, he stated. Hussain claimed that the onslaught was aimed at eliminating cultural diversity, destruction of symbols and the emotional bond that Khattak had with his homeland and everything attached to it.

Although the residents of Akora Khattak recoil in revulsion over the attack, they think that all is not lost. They express hope by garnering belief from one of the poet’s verses: “When layers of earth were burying a seed, I heard it saying tomorrow will be my turn to blossom.”

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2012.

Season of politicking : Shah threatens ‘long march’ on Lahore

Sindh Chief Minister and senior PPP leader Qaim Ali Shah threatened a long march against the Pakistan-Muslim League-Nawaz’s Punjab government – one which would travel to Lahore and beyond.

Addressing a large rally at Kamoon Shaheed, Ubaro, Shah claimed that almost a million people were in attendance, and when the time came, the 55 million inhabitants of Sindh will march onto and lay siege to ‘Takht-e-Lahore.’

Flaying PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif for talking about broken promises, Shah claimed that he had once vowed that he would neither be dictated, nor would he resign.

“But when his supporters marched to Lahore to protest against General Pervez Musharraf overthrowing him in a coup in 1999, they discovered that not only had Nawaz taken dictation and resigned, but had put his hands up against the dictator, pleading for mercy,” Shah said.

With general elections due, Shah also hinted at the possibility of elections as early as November. “November, December is not far, you can try. The people are angry that he (Nawaz) wants to push out the public’s government,” the chief minister said.

He said that when the elections come around, the people would once again vote the PPP into power. “Nawaz was twice given the chance, what did he do for you?” Shah asked, adding that the PPP had “served the public, the poor, farmers and the youth.”

Throwing in his reelection pitch, Shah said that the PPP’s business was unfinished, and that it was their party which would empower women, give jobs to the youth and give rights to people.

Earlier, other PPP leaders also addressed the gathering, and said that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani is brave for refusing to resign after being convicted in the contempt case.

They also praised him for defending the party and “the Constitution.” The speakers were also highly critical of the judiciary and Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2012.

With Likeminded by PML-N’s side: Nawaz’s ‘grand alliance’ gathers steam

The general secretaries of both parties signed the agreement at Raiwind, according to which the PML-N will give 11% of national and provincial assembly seats to Likeminded candidates. The issue of party symbol – whether Likeminded candidates will contest elections using PML-N’s tiger – will be decided later.

Insiders added that both parties have also agreed to woo more Muslim League factions.

Earlier on Wednesday, Sindh National Front chief Mumtaz Bhutto had formally announced the merger of his party with the PML-N, giving the latter a major boost in Sindh’s electoral politics.

Seat-adjustment formula

Talking to the media after signing their agreement, Likeminded’s General Secretary Humayun Akhtar Khan and his counterpart from PML-N, Zafar Iqbal Jhagra, said, “The vote-bank of Muslim Leagues has been united to defeat the PPP in the upcoming elections.”

“According to the agreement made between the two parties today, 30 general seats in the National Assembly will be allotted to Likeminded in the upcoming elections,” Akhtar said.

He said the same percentage of general seats will allotted to Likeminded for all provinces, adding that allocation of reserved seats for women, minorities and the Senate will be based on other terms.

According to sources, however, Nawaz has agreed to allot 13, not 30, seats in the national and provincial assemblies to Likeminded candidates.

Strengthening the Leagues

The PML-N chief met with Likeminded’s Chairman Hamid Nasir Chattha for the first time after 1993 to devise a strategy on strengthening the Leagues.

Sources said Chattha has been tasked to convince PML-Q’s former and sitting ministers in the federal cabinet to defect to the PML-N. The PML-Likeminded is a breakaway faction of the PML-Q.

Sources added that Nawaz and Chattha agreed to form a grand alliance, led by the former, against the PPP-led coalition government.

Since the Chaudhrys of Gujrat, the PML-Q leaders, are least likely to join this alliance, sources said that Chattha has been tasked to continue his litigation against Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and seek his disqualification from the party post.

Chattha, while talking to The Express Tribune, confirmed that he would convince sitting PML-Q lawmakers and ministers to join the grand alliance. Only a politics of alliance would oust the PPP-led coalition government, he said.

Chattha added that formation of ticket-awarding parliamentary boards would be discussed later.

Apprehensions

Sources said that Chattha and his colleagues were not ready to rely on Nawaz over several issues.

Likeminded’s candidates are not sure if they would be awarded tickets to contest the election by Nawaz, if the party merges with the PML-N, sources said.

Nawaz had refused to award party tickets to many aspirants at the eleventh hour, they said, citing the case of Humayun Akhtar, who barely got a ticket in the 1996 elections, and his younger brother Haroon, who was denied a ticket in the 2012 Senate elections.

If the PML-N betrays Likeminded, they would announce an alliance with some other political party, sources added.

The group had entered into negotiations with PTI Chairman Imran Khan last year to discuss a possible alliance. The talks broke down though after Imran asked Likeminded leaders to join his party.

Likeminded’s Punjab chief resigns

Likeminded’s Ata Manika, in protest, has resigned from his party post as president of the Punjab chapter following the party’s alliance with the PML-N, Express News reported.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani called him from London, assuring his utmost cooperation.

Talking to the media, Manika said that despite playing a pivotal role in forming Likeminded, the party leadership did not even consult him regarding the decision to form an alliance with the PML-N.

However, later in the night a Likeminded delegation managed to win back Manika who then lent his support to the agreement with PML-N.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2012.

Season of politicking: Shahbaz promises Bahawalpur province

Addressing a meeting of PML-N, Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and Bahawalpur Movement workers, at the local Circuit House, Shahbaz said that the request for the formation of a National Commission in the Punjab Assembly resolutions only applied to new provinces, not to Bahawalpur, which should have its provincial status ‘restored’.  He said Bahawalpur was a different case and that PML-N would succeed in having this status restored “very soon”.

Shahbaz strongly condemned former president Yahya Khan over his decision in 1970 to deny Bahawalpur provincial status after the One Unit system was revised to incorporate four provinces.

He said  that PML-N President Nawaz Sharif’s and the Punjab government’s contribution towards the uplift of Bahawalpur was an example of their commitment and sincerity, adding that a District Headquarters Hospital and various educational projects including the establishment of Daanish Schools were  clear proof of the PML-N’s commitment.

The chief minister lashed out against the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), saying that the regime had ruined the national economy and had failed to deliver on all fronts, adding that this was “the right time” to stand up against  incompetent and corrupt rulers for the national cause.

The chief minister also accused the PPP of trying to divide the country on a linguistic basis, while stating that the PML-N supported the formation of provinces on administrative, political, historical and geographical grounds.

PML-F’s Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah were present also at the meeting.

Nawaz’s rally

Meanwhile, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif  addressed a rally in Khushab on Saturday, saying that the party had never indulged in corruption worth “even one rupee”. The rally was part of the opposition’s protest movement against the ruling government.

“Tell me, when Nawaz Sharif was the prime minister, was there any load-shedding for even an hour? This is the difference,” the party chief claimed.

WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM NEWS DESK

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2012.

Nawaz threatens to join power protests

LAHORE, May 12: PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif threatened on Saturday to join protests against loadshedding if the government failed to solve the problem within four days.

Addressing a public meeting in Khushab, he urged Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani to resign before filing an appeal against the Supreme Court’s verdict against him in a contempt case.

“If the federal government does not put an end to the menace of power loadshedding within four days, I will be on the road along with the masses in protest against the outages.”

He said the PML-N had built the motorway and made the country a nuclear power during its rule despite pressure from the world community, while the PPP had given loadshedding and inflation.

Mr Sharif said his bold decisions had forced India to hold dialogue with Pakistan on the basis of equality.

He said that under his government there was no energy crisis and Pakistan’s currency was stronger than that of India.

He said a conspiracy had been hatched to keep the PML-N out of the 2008 elections by disqualifying him and Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif but it emerged as the second largest party.

He said he had accepted PPP’s mandate for the prosperity and progress of the country but President Asif Zardari had backed out of his promises.

The PML-N chief held the government’s policies responsible for unemployment, price-hike and poverty.

He urged people to support him like they had done in the movement for the restoration of the judiciary so that ‘plunderers and thieves’ could be taken to task.

Referring to the Supreme Court’s verdict against the prime minister, he said the PML-N would not allow the PPP to lead the country to anarchy and lawlessness.

He alleged that the federal government was hatching conspiracies against the Punjab chief minister who was trying to eliminate poverty, unemployment and corruption.

The former prime minister announced a special development package of Rs1 billion for Khushab.

Leader of Opposition in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar said both the president and the prime minister were ‘convicts’ and as such a cause of shame for the country.

Referring to PTI chief Imran Khan, he said the ‘inexperienced’ tsunami player was misleading people.

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Via DAWN.com

Quit before filing appeal

KHUSHAB – Joining the chorus against worst power outages in the country’s history, PML-N President Ex Prime minister Mian Nawaz Sharifhas given an ultimatum to the government to end loadshedding and said he would himself join the protests, if it failed to resolve the crisis within next two days.
He was addressing a mammoth public rally organised in Khushab as a part of PML-N’s ‘Remove Gilani …

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JI’s conference calls to probe May 12 carnage in Karachi

Lawyers chant slogans against 12 May, 2007 incident during a protest rally at M. A. Jinnah Road in Karachi on Saturday. – Photo by PPI

KARACHI: The national conference of different political parties organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) on Saturday declared May12 Carnage of 2007 as the national tragedy and demanded the judiciary to take culprits to the task who massacred the innocent people.

It also demanded the government for compensating the loss of human lives that took place five years ago.

Organised by the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) at a local hotel in Karachi, the national conference further demanded lodging of FIR against former President Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and other government and political officials responsible for the bloodshed.

A resolution unanimously passed by the conference urged for probing the May 12 massacre by a tribunal headed by the judge of Supreme Court and also that the nation should be apprised of the results.

Like the May 12 carnage, the judicial probe should also be conducted into the tragic incidents of 12 Rabi-ul-Awal, May 12, 2006, October 18, 2007, April 09, 2008, Aashura bomb blast and Bolton Market incident so that the assailants could be brought to justice, it demanded.

The national conference, through the resolution, urged for an end to appointments in Sindh police on political grounds and reorganising the police force on professional basis for taking effective actions against killers, extortionists and other law-breakers.

The conference called for immediate action against the terrorists and other criminals nominated in FIRs of all the cases of targeted killings and extortion.

A large number of political and religious leaders from across the country attended and addressed the conference presided over by JI chief Syed Munawar Hassan.

Prominent among them were former foreign minister and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) leader Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, provincial chief of the PTI Nadir Akmal Leghari, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Raja Zafarul Haque, Senator Mushahdullah Khan, Syed Ghaus Ali Shah and Salim Zia.

While, Syed Jalal Mahmood Shah of Sindh United Party, Mir Hasil Khan Bizenjo of National Party of Balochistan, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Syed Alam Shah of HariTehrik, Kunwar Quttubuddin of PML-F, Mahmoodul Hassan, president Karachi Bar Association, Senator Shahi Syed of ANP, Owais Noorani of JUP, Muhammad Hussain Mahnati and Maulana Asadullah Bhutto of JI, QamarBhatti, representatives of Sunni Tehrik, Tehrik-i-Islami, Awami Muslim League, small traders organisation, Rickshaw Owners Association and others also participated the conference.

The political and religious leaders criticised the government and said the killers of innocent people on May 12 were not arrested because they are sharing the power under the government’s reconciliation policy.

Lawyers observed “black day”

Meanwhile, the legal fraternity observed a ‘black day’ across the country to condemn May 12, 2007, incident.

Lawyers associations hoisted black flags at the premises of their respective bars offices, as well as held meetings to pay tributes to the victims of May 12 violence.

A protest rally led by lawyers leaders was also taken out at M.A. Jinnah road in Karachi against the killing of innocent people including lawyers and political workers on that fateful day.

Different bar associations held protest meeting at their respective bars and demanded arrest of culprits involved in the killing of innocent people in the metropolis on May 12, 2007.

The lawyers of Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana and other cities of the province also observed ‘black day’ and boycotted the courts proceedings on the call of their respective bar associations.

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Via DAWN.com

Gilani vows to protect constitution; go extreme to fight his case

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani. – File Photo by Reuters

LONDON: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Saturday vowed to protect the constitution of Pakistan at all cost and not to be deterred by any threat.

“Come what may I will protect the constitution of Pakistan, I will go to the last limit and exhaust all my options and exercise my right to appeal,” Gilani told a large gathering of leaders and workers of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) here at a local hotel.

The prime minister said his case was related to the interpretation of the constitution of the country and his only crime was protecting the constitution.

He said, “I am not one of those who will stab the party in the back as he believed that under Article 248 of the constitution and Vienna Convention the President of Pakistan has complete immunity and he is not required to write any letter, as it is a violation of the constitution.”

The premier expressing resolve to protect the country said, “We will reject any unconstitutional step in Pakistan.”

Gilani said the opposition wants him to resign on moral grounds. “But I want to know that hundreds of cases are lying pending with the courts against them and I wish that a decision is taken on these cases as well.”

The prime minister said there were a number of cases against the Sharifs with the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and especially the Mehran Bank case has been pending for the past twenty years, besides several other cases were with the judiciary.

He questioned that “while cases against Nawaz Sharif were pending in the courts, how they were taking out rallies in support of judiciary. Would it not embarrass the judiciary?”

Gilani said though there was no law for the contempt of court in the country and even Babar Awan has not been charge sheeted, yet he has been convicted.

He said there was also a contempt of court case related to the Chief Justice against a police official but it was also lying pending.

During the address interspersed with loud slogans of support from the large gathering of the PPP workers here on the last day of his five-day visit to the United Kingdom, Gilani said certain self-created leaders were now through their “so-called” public gatherings, trying in vain to tell the world that he was no longer the prime minister of the country.

On the contrary, he said, the leadership of the United Kingdom received him at all three important fora of the parliament, the government and Royalty.

“We do not care if you do not accept me. The world acknowledges me, the constitution of Pakistan recognises me, the people of Pakistan recognise me,” he added.

“Who are you, the one who was convicted for hijacking a plane?” Gilani asked.

Prime Minister Gilani said the judiciary gave General Pervez Musharraf the right to oust Nawaz Sharif, and gave approval to all his acts. “Why the party did not raise a voice for a long march at that stage?” he asked.

He said the people of Pakistan want to know the details of Nawaz Sharif’s journey from Attock to Jeddah in the dark of the night.

Gilani said Nawaz Sharif left the country after a plea bargain, which was a confession and pledged not to be part of any politics for ten years.

He termed it an act, shameful for any politician. He recalled that Javed Hashmi himself said that for years they claimed that there was no deal with the dictator, but when Nawaz Sharif returned he himself gave a statement saying actually it was for five years and not ten.

Gilani regretted that the PPP inked the Charter of Democracy (CoD) with Nawaz Sharif and extended him full support when he was in difficult time, however in return it got undue criticism from the Pakistan Mulim League-Nawaz (PML-N), that despite being in government was acting like an opposition.

He quoted late Nawabzada Nasrullah Khan who regretted that Nawaz Sharif and his family left secretly in the dark of night with 40 suitcases and remarked that it was the first time that he was dealing with a businessman, who has nothing to do with politics or a commitment to the party or the country.

Prime Minister Gilani said the entire politics of Nawaz Sharif revolves around creating disruption in traffic, burning tyres and causing lawlessness. He said it was also for the first time that a province was leading protests against the federation, which in itself was an act of high treason.

Gilani also shared the decisions taken at a recent energy conference in Lahore, where it was decided to have two-weekly offs and closing down businesses early to save electricity, but the Sharif brothers again declined to follow the decisions and were trying to launch protest against the government.

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Via DAWN.com

No foreign-sourced email services, Iran tells companies

The order prohibits banks, insurance firms and telephone firms from using foreign hosts for their sites or to inform their clients using foreign providers such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail or MSN – File photo

TEHRAN: Iran’s telecommunications ministry has barred local banks, insurance firms and telephone operators from using foreign-sourced emails to communicate with clients, a specialist weekly said on Saturday.

“The telecommunications minister has ordered the use of domain names ending with .ir” belonging to Iran, Asr Ertebatat reported.

The order prohibits banks, insurance firms and telephone firms from using foreign hosts for their sites or to inform their clients using foreign providers such as Yahoo, Gmail, Hotmail or MSN, it said.

The weekly said that individuals seeking to communicate with such firms must now use email addresses ending with iran.ir, post.ir or chmail.ir.

Entities linked to the Iranian government must use addresses ending in gov.ir or .ir, while universities should use emails ending in ac.ir or .ir, the report added.

Iran has announced that as of May, a national information network will be used to replace the Internet in the daily management of the administration of state entities, the banking system and public enterprises.

Officially, the launch of the “Iranian Internet” aims to secure communications by making them independent from foreign Internet operators.

Iranian authorities announced in December having repatriated 90 per cent of official websites and encouraged Iranian companies to do the same.

For the past two years, Tehran has been slapped with Western economic and financial sanctions due to its controversial nuclear programme.

The regime also regularly accuses the West of using the web for an “undeclared war” to destabilise it, and Telecommunications Minister Reza Taghipour has argued that Google and Yahoo posed a “threat to national security.”

With over 36 million Internet users out of the population of 75 million, electronic media played a major role in the popular protests which rocked the country after the disputed re-election of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in 2009.

The authorities have since cut off or reduced Internet connections and speed.

The telecommunications ministry in April, however, denied that the authority has decided to cut outside Internet connections to support the development of Iran’s own intranet.

Earlier this year, access to foreign-sourced emails was cut without explanation, disrupting the operations of many companies and millions of Iranians while prompting sharp criticism within the regime.

Since the unrest of 2009, authorities have sharply reduced the available bandwidth of the Internet and blocked access to tens of thousands of foreign websites, including opposition sites.

US President Barack Obama on March accused Iran of imposing an “electronic curtain” of censorship, announcing steps to use software and social media to help Iranians communicate online.

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Via DAWN.com

Nawaz threatens to join protests against power outages

PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif addresses a public gathering. – File Photo by Online

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif on Saturday threatened the PPP-led government to join the ongoing protests across the country against power outages if the issue is not resolved within next couple of days, DawnNews reported.

Speaking to a public gathering in Khushab for his party’s ongoing “go Gilani, go” movement, Sharif said that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has done nothing for masses of the country. “Power loadshedding and inflation have made public’s lives miserable,” he added.

Speaking on the Supreme Court’s verdict against Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani in contempt of court case, he said Gilani should resign from the post before appealing against the verdict. “I don’t mind him appealing against the judgment…but leave the post first…and go home before doing so,” he added.

The PML-N chief reiterated that he was not after the chair but only wanted to serve the underprivileged masses of the country.

Condemning the continued power outages in the country, Sharif warned that if loadshedding was not halted in the next couple of days then he would join the protest movement with the people.

“I pledge to change the destiny of the nation and its 180 million people. The PML-N would not allow anarchy in the country,” said the party chief.

Sharif said he had never compromised on national interests and recalled that, as prime minister in May 1998, he had conducted six successful nuclear tests in response to five by India – despite an offer of $5 billion by then US president Bill Clinton for not conducting the tests.

He said the PPP did nothing for the masses during its four terms in office of 15 years whereas his party in its two terms of total four and a half years made earnest efforts for socio-economic development of the people across the country without any discrimination.

He thanked the people of Khushab for supporting the PML-N and announced a special development package of one billion rupees which was in addition to the already announced development budget for Khushab by Chief Minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif.

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Via DAWN.com

Storm in a tea-cup: Premier Gilani sugarcoats tenuous Pak-US ties

Addressing a detailed press conference after laying the foundation stone of a new consular hall at the Pakistan High Commission in London on Friday, the premier added that “PCNS recommendations were passed unanimously – the government was told to negotiate with the United States on this basis. That is what we are doing. There is no outcome yet.”

When the premier was first asked the question, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, who flanked the prime minister, immediately whispered in his ear: “they have retracted it.” The premier’s official statement was vaguer, and not as direct.

He said that the foreign minister had taken him into confidence that “there is no such statement.”

“Our negotiations are on. When they end, then we can say something [on such things]. We are in the middle of discussions,” he said.

Asked if Prime Minister Cameron had pressed the capture of Hafiz Saeed and the presence of Ayman al Zawahiri and/or Mullah Omar in Pakistan, the premier recalled that his counterpart had already said that any enemy of Pakistan was an enemy of the UK. He also said that the courts were “totally independent”, and if there is any concrete evidence against Hafiz Saeed, it should be presented before the courts. It is not up to the government to take a decision on this matter, he said.

Regarding the increasing US insistence that Ayman al Zawahiri and/or Mullah Omar are present in Pakistan, he said that relations between the CIA and ISI have always been “excellent” and still are – stressing that the two had hit many al Qaeda high value targets together because of this cooperation.

He said the US and Pakistan are still in “partnership mode” and are looking out for each others’ interests.

He urged that, if there is any “credible” and “actionable” intelligence, the US should share it – so that the ISI and CIA can “jointly achieve the target”.

Local politics

There was plenty of local politics, too.

Hitting out at the criticism by the opposition, the prime minister said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) had tried its utmost to discredit him and to have him disqualified. However, he said, all these attempts had been futile.  He said he didn’t believe in the interpretation of the “Sharif Courts”.

The prime minister said that the PML-N had gone to the Election Commission of Pakistan to seek his disqualification – but, he said, there had been no response. He added that the PML-N also tried to “pressurise” the speaker of the National Assembly, but she too had not said anything on the matter yet.

In fact, claimed the premier, they even wrote a letter to British authorities asking that he not be welcomed as a prime minister – yet he was given full protocol in the highest offices of the UK.

Expressing his disappointment with the conduct of the main opposition party, the prime minister said that they were only harming the image of the country.

He said that the “notion” of a clash of institutions is only being created by Nawaz Sharif, adding that if all quarters work within their ambit there can be, and will be, no clash.

Questioned on the PML-N’s move to introduce a resolution seeking the formation of a South Punjab province as well as the reinstatement of a Bahawalpur province, the premier said he did not think the party’s intentions were “sincere.”

He pointed out that the PML-N had long opposed the division of Punjab – evidenced by the refusal of the Punjab Assembly speaker’s refusal to take up resolutions to this effect by PML-Q legislators. He said the Punjab government had been pushed by the federal government’s “consensus” initiative, which he stressed was constitutional, as well as by public opinion and the will of the people.

He said the PML-N’s move was an “afterthought.”

Power protests

To a question, the prime minister said that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had purposely rejected recommendations from a recent power conference participated in by all provinces – claiming that Shahbaz wanted to have reasons to protest against the federal government, such as the ones currently underway against power outages.

He said the government had taken a number of steps to assuage the power shortfall situation, which would begin to bear fruit with time – adding that there was no “switch” that could be turned on to fix the situation overnight.

The prime minister goaded the PML-N, telling them that if they wanted him gone so badly, they had two options: Either bring a no-confidence motion against him in the National Assembly or resign from the assemblies and announce a mass protest.

The second option, quipped the premier, would even appease Imran Khan and his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) – and the two parties could then join forces. He said that “if” the PTI and PML-N got together, there was a chance that there could be “some” impact – but added that he didn’t think such an alliance would be possible.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2012.

Punjab power politics: Amidst violent protests govt offers ‘respite’

Water and Power Minister Naveed Qamar made the announcement on the floor of the Senate where lawmakers from the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) staged a walkout to express solidarity with the people.

Qamar said that 2,000 megawatts of electricity has been added to the national grid, which has ramped up power generation. Blaming technical faults in some of the main power plants for the sudden power shortfall, he said that emergency measures were taken to fix the problem.

Without naming any political party, the minister alleged that the energy crisis was being politicised.

“The energy crisis is a nationwide issue, and the nation’s cooperation is required to deal with it,” he said. “Angry protests that involve damaging public and private property are not a solution to the problem.”

PPP leaders have blamed the PML-N for inciting violent protests against power outages in Punjab in order to put the government under pressure – a charge that the PML-N has denied.

Violent protests were staged on Friday for a second consecutive day as people burnt tyres and put up roadblocks in different cities of Punjab against long-hour outages in the sweltering summer.

The issue overshadowed proceedings of the upper house where legislators from opposition and the government’s coalition partners agitated the matter.

PML-Q Senator Kamil Ali Agha demanded Senate Chairman Nayyar Husain Bukhari take notice of Naveed Qamar’s initial absence. He was scheduled to attend the session at 11.30am but didn’t reach on time.

Qamar was also conspicuous by his absence during Thursday’s session, inviting criticism from Agha.

The criticism stoked a verbal duel between Senator Agha and Leader of the House Jahangir Badar. Both blamed each other for the deepening energy crisis and the economy being caught up in a time warp.

Senator Raza Rabbani of the PPP, on the other hand, spoke about electricity woes in Karachi. He said the metropolitan city had to do without electricity on Thursday. In the evening citizens suffered through extremely low voltage, which was not enough to lead a routine life.

He blamed the situation on the ‘below average’ performance of the Karachi Electric Supply Company (KESC).

Senator Shahi Syed of the Awami National Party (ANP) claimed that the KESC was producing 1,000MW against its capacity of 2,200MW.

Senator Rabbani added that 5,000 KESC employees were sacked by the management. He and some other lawmakers demanded that the government take over the KESC.

However, Minister Naveed Qamar was quick to rule out the possibility: “The water and power ministry does not have the authority to nationalise the KESC because NEPRA (National Electric Power Regulatory Authority) looks after these matters.”

“KESC’s nationalisation will create legal complications,” he said but added that his ministry was in talks with NEPRA and would take stern action against the company once the case was strong enough.

Opposition walkout

PML-N senators staged a walkout from the house to protest the government’s failure to overcome the power crisis and its ‘refusal’ to implement the Supreme Court’s ruling against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani.

When Najma Hameed of PML-N used the words ‘former PM’ for Gilani, PPP lawmakers protested vociferously, with Ijaz Dharma and Syed Ghani taking the lead. Ghani claimed that an amount of Rs.38 billion was missing from Bank of Punjab’s accounts, for which Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, should be held accountable.

Senate resolution                              

Later, the Senate adopted a resolution condemning the terrorist attack on the mausoleum of former ANP senator Ajmal Khattak and demanded action against the perpetrators. The resolution was moved by Senator Zahid Khan of ANP.

Chairman Bukhari prorogued the session.

(Read: Powerless people)

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2012.

US resumes Bahrain arms sales despite rights concerns

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Bahrain Crown Price Salman bin Hamad al Khalifa is welcomed at the Pentagon by Defense Secretary Leon Panetta. – AFP photo

The United States will resume some military sales to Bahrain, a key Gulf ally facing Iran, despite human rights concerns linked to months of popular protests against the island kingdom’s rulers, the State Department said on Friday.

The Obama administration notified Congress that certain sales would be allowed for Bahrain’s defense force, coast guard and national guard, although it would maintain a hold on TOW missiles, Humvees and some other items for now, the department said in a statement.

“We have made the decision to release additional items to Bahrain mindful of the fact that there are a number of serious unresolved human rights issues that the government of Bahrain needs to address,” the statement said.

The State Department did not give a total value for the items being released but emphasized that the equipment being approved was “not used for crowd control” as the majority Shi’ite community continues to protest against the Sunni royal family following a crackdown last year.

US officials said among the sales now allowed to go forward would be harbor security vessels and upgrades to turbo-fan engines used in F-16 fighter aircraft as well as legislation which could pave the way for a future sale of a naval frigate.

Items still on hold, besides the missiles and the Humvees, include teargas, teargas launchers and stun grenades.

DECISION CRITICIZED IN CONGRESS

The decision was criticized by Senator Patrick Leahy, who wrote a provision Congress passed last year requiring the administration to consult lawmakers before allowing sales of teargas and other crowd-control items to governments of countries undergoing democratic transition in the Middle East.

“While I am pleased that the administration is continuing to withhold tear gas, small arms and other crowd-control items from the Bahraini security forces, this arms sale sends the wrong message,” Leahy, a Democrat, said in a statement.

“The government of Bahrain has yet to respect the Bahraini people’s legitimate demands, or to hold accountable its own police and military officers for arresting, torturing and killing Bahraini protesters,” Leahy said.

The resumption of military sales follows a visit to Washington this week by Bahrain Crown Prince Salman Hamid al-Khalifa, who met Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

“The Vice President expressed concern about the recent escalation of street violence, including attacks against security forces,” the White House said. Biden also pressed on the importance of safeguarding human rights and of government accountability for past abuses, messages that were reinforced by Panetta, the Pentagon said.

In October, the Obama administration delayed $53 million in planned sales to Bahrain pending the outcome of a local investigation into alleged human rights abuses since an uprising began in February 2011.

Bahrain has been the host of US naval headquarters in the Gulf for more than 60 years and is seen as a central bulwark for US efforts to deter Iran.

Human rights advocates have criticized Washington for its muted response Bahrain’s crackdown contrasted with strong US

public support for popular protests in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria.

The State Department said Bahrain’s government had taken steps to implement reforms but that “the country is becoming increasingly polarized and much work remains to be done.”

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Via DAWN.com

US resumes Bahrain arms sales despite rights concerns

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Bahraini Shia Muslims hold a slogan which is read in Arabic as “No to dictatorship” during a demonstration. – AFP Photo

WASHINGTON: The United States will resume some military sales to Bahrain, a key Gulf ally facing Iran, despite human rights concerns linked to months of popular protests against the island kingdom’s rulers, the State Department said on Friday.

The Obama administration notified Congress that certain sales would be allowed for Bahrain’s defense force, coast guard and National Guard; although it would maintain a hold on TOW missiles, Humvees and some other items for now, the department said in a statement.

“We have made the decision to release additional items to Bahrain mindful of the fact that there are a number of serious unresolved human rights issues that the government of Bahrain needs to address,” the statement said.

The State Department did not give a total value for the items being released but emphasized that the equipment being approved was “not used for crowd control” as the majority Shia community continues to protest against the Sunni royal family following a crackdown last year.

US officials said among the sales now allowed to go forward would be harbor security vessels and upgrades to turbo-fan engines used in F-16 fighter aircraft as well as legislation which could pave the way for a future sale of a naval frigate.

Items still on hold, besides the missiles and the Humvees, include teargas, teargas launchers and stun grenades.

 Decision Criticised In Congress

The decision was criticized by Senator Patrick Leahy, who wrote a provision Congress passed last year requiring the administration to consult lawmakers before allowing sales of teargas and other crowd-control items to governments of countries undergoing democratic transition in the Middle East.

“While I am pleased that the administration is continuing to withhold tear gas, small arms and other crowd-control items from the Bahraini security forces, this arms sale sends the wrong message,” Leahy, a Democrat, said in a statement.

“The government of Bahrain has yet to respect the Bahraini people’s legitimate demands, or to hold accountable its own police and military officers for arresting, torturing and killing Bahraini protesters,” Leahy said.

The resumption of military sales follows a visit to Washington this week by Bahrain Crown Prince Salman Hamid al-Khalifa, who met Vice President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Leon Panetta.

“The Vice President expressed concern about the recent escalation of street violence, including attacks against security forces,” the White House said. Biden also pressed on the importance of safeguarding human rights and of government accountability for past abuses, messages that were reinforced by Panetta, the Pentagon said.

In October, the Obama administration delayed $53 million in planned sales to Bahrain pending the outcome of a local investigation into alleged human rights abuses since an uprising began in February 2011.

Bahrain has been the host of US naval headquarters in the Gulf for more than 60 years and is seen as a central bulwark for US efforts to deter Iran.

Human rights advocates have criticized Washington for its muted response Bahrain’s crackdown contrasted with strong US public support for popular protests in Egypt, Tunisia and Syria.

The State Department said Bahrain’s government had taken steps to implement reforms but that “the country is becoming increasingly polarized and much work remains to be done.”

“We are concerned about excessive use of force and tear gas by police. At the same time, we are concerned by the almost daily use of violence by some protesters,” the statement said, urging both sides to refrain from incitement.

The Obama administration has been under pressure to stick by Bahrain’s ruling family, notably from Sunni-led Saudi Arabia and other members of the Gulf Cooperation Council, in the face of protests by the country’s Shia’s.

The original $53 million sale proposal included 44 Humvee armored vehicles and several hundred TOW missiles along with associated equipment. Prime contractors would be privately held AM General and Raytheon Co.

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Via DAWN.com

Senate remains mired in outages

ISLAMABAD – PML-Q leader Kamil Ali Agha Friday continued his outburst in the Senate against the federal government over the issue of prolonged outages in the country and warned the people would attack the Parliament, if the government did not resolve the matter.
“People are protesting in Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad and Vehari as well as attacking the offices of …

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