Posts Tagged ‘Swat’

PTI will bring tsunami in Balochistan: Azam Swati

QUETTA – The central leader of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Azam Swati said that until the supremacy of law is restored in the country the issues would not be resolved.“PTI will bring a tsunami in Balochistan on April 20th,” he told reporters while addressing a press conference here on Wednesday. He said that the people were gathering at a single platform under the leadership …

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Wheel jam strike keeps passengers on toes

PESHAWAR, April 10: Transporters in Peshawar and some other districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa observed complete wheel jam strike and kept the passenger and goods transport vehicles off the road on Tuesday to record their protest against hike in prices of CNG and petroleum products. They asked the government to bring the oil prices down to the level of June 2011.

While the transporters used different tactics to prove their strike successful, people at inter-city bus stations and local routes faced numerous problems to reach their destinations, especially schools and hospitals. In several places people had to abandon their travel plans.

In Peshawar, the strike was observed on the call of All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association. Members of different transport organisations took out a protest procession from Haji Camp Bus Stand and blocked the main G.T. Road by burning tyres. The protesters holding banners inscribed with demands for bringing down the POL prices also chanted anti-government slogans.

Large number of people on way to their offices, educational institutions and other destinations were seen at different bus stops both in the city and cantonment areas. Those who hired rickshaws or taxis had to pay double the routine fares and those who could not afford were seen marching on foot to their destinations. Those on foot included a large number of students and women.

A passenger Khalilur Rehman said that he was going to Barikot, Swat, but vehicles were not available and he along with three other passengers would hire a taxi to reach home.

Though the legal committee of Sarhad Transport Owners Association had announced its dissociation from the strike, it also could not operate its buses due to closure of roads.

The protesting transporters had also blocked the Kohat Road near Kohat Bus Stand by parking trucks. In some areas the protesters threw big stones on the road making it impossible for other vehicles to pass.

Urban Transport Union president Khan Zaman Afridi told Dawn that the strike was successful and the transporters were determined to continue it. He said that the district administration had convened a meeting on Wednesday (today) at the DCO office to discuss the situation.

All Pakistan Goods Transport Owners Association president Malik Khwaja Mohammad also said that the strike would continue till the government cut petroleum prices and stop collecting Rs300 taxes on loading and unloading at town administration level.

In Swabi, both goods and public transporters showed unity on Tuesday and observed a complete strike against hike in the CNG and POL prices.

They had also announced that any person bringing his vehicle on the road would be responsible for damage. Even the rickshaws and private cars were not allowed to ply on the roads.

The transporters demanded that the government should take the POL prices to the 2011 level. In district headquarters and Gohati bus stop rickshaw drivers were beaten up by transporters when they violated the strike. The situation remained tense and the commuters faced transportation problems throughout the day.

Some passengers, including women, were stuck at the bus stations and waited for hours to return homes.

In Buner, the transporters’ strike paralysed routine life on Tuesday and the commuters had to face severe hardships. The angry transporters were seen patrolling in parts of the district to make sure that nobody violated the strike.

Only rickshaws and some school buses were seen plying on the road, while the strike was observed at Pir Baba, Jowar, Swari, Dewana Baba, Ambela, Nagrai and Chinglai Totalai areas.

In Nowshera, the complete strike caused millions of rupees loss to fruit and vegetable venders, as people’s movement was restricted on Tuesday. “I was unaware of the strike and brought strawberry fruit to market early in the morning which did not
sell,” Pervez, a cart owner said. He said that the fruit would perish by tomorrow.

All Goods and Transport Association’s leader Khyber Khan said they would continue strike till their demand was accepted.

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Via DAWN.com

In eerie comeback, Taliban return to airwaves

Almost three years after battle-hardened militants loyal to Maulvi Fazlullah or ‘Mullah Radio’ were flushed out of the region in a military operation, it appears they are now trying to gain a foothold once again by re-establishing FM broadcasts.

The broadcasts had earlier been used as a propaganda tool to galvanise public support through a mixture of terror and persuasion.

“The same voices we used to hear four years ago when the Taliban started their campaign are echoing in the valleys again … it’s scary,” said a local resident from the Matta subdivision of Swat, who runs a small business in Mingora.

Matta was one of the towns where militants first established their bases and remained in control till they were chased out of the region by the army in 2009.

The Taliban insurgency in the valley, like in the neighbouring Mohmand and Bajaur tribal regions, began with several FM broadcasts.

These were used so regularly and effectively that Fazlullah, who led the militants in Swat and is reportedly hiding in Afghanistan’s Kunar province now, was given the title of Mullah Radio by the international media.

Several locals who spoke to The Express Tribune said the Taliban radio broadcasts were once again threatening people for siding with the military and claimed they would soon be making a comeback to the valley.

None of them was willing to give names in fear of their lives.

They added that the speeches of Taliban leaders could be heard in the upper parts of the valley including the former militant strongholds of Peochar, Matta and part of Charbagh. The FM broadcasts, however, did not last for more than an hour or, in most cases, less than that.

When contacted, a military spokesperson admitted ‘some activity’ was reported in parts of Swat in the recent past but said it wasn’t a ‘serious threat’.

“There are some elements, Taliban remnants who keep on giving an impression that they can still reemerge but they can’t,” said Brigadier Azmat Abbas, an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) official.

Others, however, said the mere presence of the Taliban and their attempts to communicate to the people of Swat that they were still around were worrying in a way that it could lower the morale of the locals.

“Just when the people of Swat started thinking their valley is free of those who made their lives hell; such things may not help. It will shatter their confidence even if there is no substance in it,” said journalist Fida Khan, who has been travelling through the region as part of his reporting assignment for a Japanese publication.

“There is an administrative and political vacuum in Swat. Civilian authorities should step forward to fill in this void; everything shouldn’t be left to the military,” added Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2012.

14 militants killed in Orakzai operation

KALAYA / MIRANSHAH: At least 14 militants including four commanders were killed and four of their hideouts destroyed in an attack by security forces in Upper Orakzai Agency. According to official sources, the areas of Akhun Kot and Ado Khel were targeted by gunship helicopters on Sunday.

“14 militants were killed and four hideouts were destroyed,” officials added. They also claimed that the destroyed hideouts harboured four militant commanders who were killed in the attack. They were identified as Hasibur Rehman, Lutafur Rahman, Luqman, and Aslam.

The claims could not be independently verified since the area is closed to journalists.

Four injured in IED explosion

At least four security personnel suffered injuries when a security forces vehicle hit a roadside improvised explosive device (IED) on Sunday near Miranshah in North Waziristan Agency.

An official of the political administration of Miranshah told The Express Tribune that the vehicle was supplying rations to a security outpost when it hit the IED. The subsequent blast injured Tahir Noor and Noor Nawaz along with two other Frontier Corps (FC) personnel. Security forces surrounded the area following the blast and launched a manhunt.

An indefinite curfew has been imposed in areas between Tehsil Miranshah,Tehsil Datta Khel and  Razmak sub-division of the North Waziristan Agency.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 9^th, 2012.

Unique happening: Women posted as judges in Malakand

PESHAWAR, April 5: In a first, the Peshawar High Court has appointed three women civil judges as Aala Ilaqa Qazi to the once militancy-infested Malakand division.

The appointments were part of the transfers and postings of 122 judicial officers, including 11 district and sessions judges, 20 additional district and sessions judges, nine senior civil judges and 82 civil judges.

According to office orders issued by PHC Registrar Subhan Sher, senior civil judge (SCJ) at Charsadda Hina Khan is posted to Swat as SCJ/Aala Ilaqa Qazi, SCJ Mardan Zainab Rehman to Batkhela in Malakand, and SCJ Kohat Hajira Rehman to Lower Dir.

Under Shariah Nizam-i-Adl Regulation, 2009, any person to be appointed in the Provincially Administered Tribal Areas (Pata) shall be a person, who is a duly appointed judicial officer in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and preference shall be given to judicial officers, who have completed Shariah course from a recognised institution.

In the past before militants increased their influence in the region, a few female judicial officers served as Ilaqa Qazi in parts of Pata. However, it is for the first time that women civil judges have been posted to three districts in Malakand.

In early 2009, regular courts stopped functioning in Swat, Shangla and Buner districts of Malakand division after militants calling the shots in the region declared them un-Islamic.

According to other PHC orders, senior district and sessions judge (DSJ) Kohat Mrs Irshad Qaisar is posted to Peshawar. She will be succeeded by DSJ Inamullah Khan, who is serving in Charsadda.

Another DSJ Lower Dir Tariq Yousafzai is posted to Swabi, while another serving in Swabi, Khwaja Wajihuddin, is transferred to DI Khan.

On repatriation from the provincial government, DSJ Anwar Hussain is posted to Charsadda, while DSJ repatriated from the federal government, Pir Baksh Shah, is posted in Lower Dir.

DSJ Farah Jamshed is transferred from Nowshera to Karak, Fazal Subhan from Karak to Peshawar High Court as OSD, Ishtiaq Ahmad from Bannu to Batkhela, Ikramullah Khan from Batkhela to PHC as OSD, and Mohammad Masood Khan from Lakki Marwat to Battagram.Additional district and sessions judge (ADSJ) Mohammad Hamid Mughal is posted to Lakki Marwat with current duties of DSJ. Similarly, ADSJ in Bannu Mohammad Adil Khan has been assigned current duties of DSJ.

Another ADSJ in Kohat Naveed Ahmad Khan was relieved of his responsibilities to take up new assignment as judge of an anti-terrorism court in Kohat.

As for other ADSJs, Liaquat Ali Khan is transferred from Peshawar to Bannu, Azhar Ali from Peshawar to Chitral, Badruddin from Chitral to Peshawar, Mohammad Zafar from Swabi to Peshawar, Jehanzeb Shinwari from Bannu to Swabi, Munawar Khan from Haripur to Mansehra, Mohammad Aamir Nazir from Mardan to Charsadda, Asghar Shah from Karak to Takhte Nusrati (Karak), Ihtesham Ali from Takhte Nusrati to Karak, Nasrullah Khan Ghandapur from Mansehra to Haripur, Tariq Pervez Baluch from Wari (Upper Dir) to DI Khan, Rashida Bano from Kohat to Nowshera, Ihsanullah Khan Mehsud from Nowshera to Swabi, Shahnaz Hameed Khattak from Swabi to Charsadda, Nusrat Yasmin from Charsadda to Kohat, Mohammad Rauf Khan from DI Khan to Bannu, and Rozina Rehman from Charsadda to Mardan.

Also, senior civil judge Abdul Jabbar is transferred from Swat to Charsadda, Hidayatullah Khan from Lower Dir to Mardan, Nadeem Mohammad from Batkhela to Tank, Qaisar Raheem from Tank to Chitral, Usman Wali from Chitral to DI Khan and Syed Obaidullah from DI Khan to Kohat.

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Via DAWN.com

Unrest in Karachi: Malakand-style operation urged

He rejected the allegation that weapons were being supplied to Karachi from K-P. “Weapons are openly supplied to Karachi by sea routes. All these routes should be blocked first,” he said.

Hussain added that the Awami National Party (ANP) was in favour of de-weaponising Karachi.

“This de-weaponisation should be indiscriminate. One community alone should not be targeted. We are ready to volunteer ourselves – the security forces should begin the process from Pakhtun-dominated areas,” he added.

Hussain said the ANP was pained to see unrest and target killings in Karachi.

Hussain also credited the ‘bold decisions’ of the ANP-led government in K-P for restoring peace in Malakand Division. “Restoration of peace in Malakand is a success story,” Hussain said, adding, perhaps ambitiously, “An example of this success cannot be found in history.”

Interestingly, in the same breath, he said that the hard-won peace in the region is transient. “Anybody claiming that the current spell of peace is durable or lasting is wrong,” he said.

Spelling out his party’s strategy to weed out terrorism, Hussain said that Taliban insurgents should either renounce violence and come to the negotiating table, or face decisive military action.

“Bilateral talks are our priority. But if dialogue does not work out, then effective and indiscriminate operations should be started against terrorists,” he added. “It’s a battle for our survival. It’s the battle for the survival of humanity.”

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2012.

Annual statement: Only 13 of 100 senators declare foreign assets

Only 13 of the 100 lawmakers of the Upper House have divulged information on their assets in the US, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

According to the statements, former senator and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader Azam Khan Swati is apparently the only senator with any debt abroad, with liabilities worth $1.08 million in the US. However, Swati did not give any breakdown of these liabilities and only declared assets in the US amounting to around $7 million in his wife’s name. He also owns different properties worth Rs3.5 million in the UAE and has assets of over Rs355 million in Pakistan.

The market value of Pakistan Peoples Party Senator Gul Muhammad Lot’s moveable and non-movable assets totals Rs1.08 billion. He is also at the top of the list of Senators who owns assets with a market value of over Rs600 million abroad, while the market value of his immovable assets within Pakistan is over Rs481 million.

Senators who did not declare their assets left the area where they were supposed to mention their liabilities blank.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik, according to his 2010 assets declaration statement, owns a valuable house in London worth Rs340 million. But this year, his statement indicated that he has neither gained nor lost anything over the past year.

Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain stated in his declaration that he owns assets worth $67,105.

Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, meanwhile, has property worth approximately Rs71 million in Dubai, while the value of his assets brought or remitted from outside Pakistan totals Rs30 million.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Ishaq Dar revealed in his declaration that he owns a residential unit in Dubai worth Rs89 million. He also holds shares and businesses worth millions of dollars inside and outside Pakistan.

PML-Q Senator Wasim Sajjad declared he has 4.4 million foreign currency in pounds and dollars; while Senator Gulshan Saeed, who owns 1,100 tolas of gold, has also sold a house in London worth 0.5 million UK pounds.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement Senator Babar Khan Ghauri owns assets worth around Rs151 million, including a business named BANS International Dubai. Awami National Party Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash’s UAE-based business is worth over AED19 million.

The total value of Senator Adnan Khan’s assets abroad is around Rs83 million.

Meanwhile, Law Minister Maula Bakhsh Chandio informed the National Assembly that over a dozen of its members had foreign accounts. These members include Dr Arbab Alamgir, Engineer Muhammad Tariq Khattak, Usman Khan Tarakai, Malik Azmat Khan, Munir Khan Orakzai, Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal, Salahuddin, Dr Fahmida Mirza, Talat Iqbal Mahassar, Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, Farhat Muhammad Khan, Justice (retd) Fakharun Nisa Khokhar, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Farahnaz Ispahani, Asma Arbab Alamgir and Kishan Chand Parwani, Dr Arasih Kumar, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

He said that a report had been prepared on the basis of information provided by the parliamentarians in their annual statements of assets and liabilities for the financial year 2009-10.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 4^th, 2012. 

Only 13 of 100 senators declare foreign assets in annual statements

ISLAMABAD: A majority of Senators have declined to divulge their assets and financial liabilities abroad, irrespective of party affiliations, according to their annual statements of assets and liabilities submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Only 13 of the 100 lawmakers of the Upper House have divulged information on their assets in the US, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.

According to the statements, former senator and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader Azam Khan Swati is apparently the only senator with any debt abroad, with liabilities worth $1.08 million in the US. However, Swati did not give any breakdown of these liabilities and only declared assets in the US amounting to around $7 million in his wife’s name. He also owns different properties worth Rs3.5 million in the UAE. Swati, who was the richest senator in 2011, has assets of over Rs355 million in Pakistan as well.

Following Swati’s resignation from the Senate, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)  Senator Gul Muhammad Lot is now the richest lawmaker. The market value of his moveable and non-movable assets totals Rs1.08 billion. He is also at top of the list of Senators who owns assets with a market value of over Rs600 million abroad, while the market value of his immovable assets within Pakistan is over Rs481 million.

Senators who did not declare their assets left the area where they were supposed to mention their liabilities blank.

Interior Minister Rehman Malik, according to his 2010 assets declaration statement, owns a valuable house in London worth Rs340 million. But this year, his statement indicated that he has neither gained nor lost anything over the past year.

Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain stated in his declaration that he owns assets worth $67,105 and some amount in the Habib Bank Limited (Pak) in the UK.

Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, meanwhile, has property worth approximately Rs71 million in Dubai, while the value of his assets brought or remitted from outside Pakistan totals Rs30 million.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senator Ishaq Dar of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz revealed in his declaration that he owns a residential unit in Dubai worth Rs89 million. Dar, who is the leader of opposition in the Senate, also revealed that he holds shares and businesses worth millions of dollars inside and outside Pakistan.

PML-Quaid Senator Wasim Sajjad declared he has 4.4 million foreign currency in pounds and dollars; while Senator Gulshan Saeed, who owns 1,100 tolas of gold and has also sold a house in London worth 0.5 million UK pounds.

Muttahida Qaumi Movement Senator Babar Khan Ghauri owns assets worth around Rs151 million, including a business named BANS International Dubai. Awami National Party Senator Abdul Nabi Bangash owns a house outside Pakistan worth Rs15 million and the market value of his UAE-based business is over AED19 million.

The total value of Senator Adnan Khan’s assets abroad is around Rs83 million.

Meanwhile, Law Minister Muala Bakhsh Chandio informed the National Assembly that over a dozen members of the National Assembly had foreign accounts. These members include Dr Arbab Alamgir, Engineer Muhammad Tariq Khattak, Usman Khan Tarakai, Malik Azmat Khan, Munir Khan Orakzai, Chaudhry Zahid Iqbal, Salahuddin, Dr Fahmida Mirza, Talat Iqbal Mahassar, Khawaja Sohail Mansoor, Farhat Muhammad Khan, Justice (retd) Fakharun Nisa Khokhar, Begum Ishrat Ashraf, Farhanaz Isphani, Asma Arbab Alamgir and Kishan Chand Parwani, Dr Arasih Kumar, Syed Ghulam Mustafa Shah and Khawaja Muhammad Asif.

He said that a report had been prepared on the basis of information provided by the parliamentarians in their annual statements of assets and liabilities for the financial year 2009-10.

‘State of education emergency’: 3 million children out of school in K-P

“This is really a state of education emergency,” said Thomson, while speaking at the launch of the ‘K-P school enrolment campaign 2012’ in Peshawar.

The project, which aims to enrol over 800,000 children in school by 2015 in addition to building more than 2,000 classrooms, is being provided for by the UK government’s Department for International Development (DFID).

“Education is the single most important factor that can transform this province’s future,” Thomson emphasised.

The drive was formally launched by K-P Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti after he enrolled one Aurangzeb, son of Mohammad Hamza, in the Nasir Bagh Primary School.

Hoti asked the donors to strictly monitor the efficacy of the programme so that projects are completed on time and in a transparent manner.

‘Foundation of enlightened societies’

Reflecting upon the importance of female literacy in the province, Hoti asserted that after peace had been restored in Swat, girls had been able to go back to schools that had earlier been destroyed by militants.

“Educated mothers lead to enlightened societies,” he said.

“We will utilise all resources to promote education in K-P. Opening 100 schools in partnership with private firms in areas that have no middle or high schools is also a goal,” he added.

Speaking on the occasion, DFID Pakistan Chief George Turkington said that it was alarming that seven million people in the province were illiterate while children who should have been in primary school were not enrolled.

A DFID statement said that the UK government will also build around 2,000 literacy centres to teach women how to read and write.

In recent years, the UK has helped around 590,000 girls to continue with their education by granting cash stipends.

Each girl receives Rs200 a month as well as a set of free textbooks in return for attending school for four days throughout the week.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 3^rd, 2012.

India to deploy two nuclear submarines: report

India will operate two nuclear powered submarines soon as it inducts the Russian Nerpa and launches the indigenous INS Arihant, Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO) Chief V K Saraswat said on Saturday.
“INS Arihant is in advanced stages. It will be ready for operations within the next few months,” he was quoted by The Economic Times as saying.
India is also testing the …

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Earthquake jolts northern areas

islamabad : An earthquake of 5.4 magnitude hit northern areas of the country on Saturday morning, according to Pakistan Meteorological Department. The quake was felt at 9:16am. The epicentre was in the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region with a focal depth of 212km. Tremors were felt in Kashmir, Bunner, Shangla, Chitral, Malakand, Swat, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Abbottabad, Murree and other adjoining …

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Moderate quake jolts northern areas

Moderate quake hit northern areas of Pakistan, met office official said on Saturday.
According to met office, a moderate intensity earthquake of magnitude 5.3 on Richter scale hit Pakistan’s northern areas on Saturday.
The tremors were felt in country’s northern parts including federal capital, Swat, Lower Dir, Mansehra, Abbotabad and surrounding areas.
However no causality or damage was …

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Report launch: Media praised for ‘saving lives of women’

The media’s timely and sensible reporting saved many precious lives of women in the last few years, said Nasreen Azhar, member executive committee of the NCSW.

The launch of the report of the NCSW 2010-2012 was held at a local hotel in Islamabad on Wednesday and was attended by women rights activists, civil society representatives and officials of donor agencies, among others,.

Azhar said the media has played an extremely responsible role in sensitising the public about women’s rights and violence being inflicted upon women. “This has given courage to many women to speak their heart out and make their unheard voices heard,” she said.

“In fact the topics chosen for talk shows and public service messages relayed by media has contributed in creating an enabling environment for women to take equal part in public and private life to a great deal,” she added.

While sharing the two year journey of NCSW she said that the last three years have been extremely challenging for the commission as it resumed the office at a time when images of a woman being flogged in Swat were being shown on TV channels all over the world. “These images horrified the world in general and the women of Pakistan, in particular.”

Azhar also appreciated the Women Parliamentarian Caucus (WPC) for their continuous support in the National Assembly and the Senate, which recently approved landmark legislation including Protection against Harassment of Women at Workplace Act, 2010, Acid Crime Prevention Act 2011, Anti-Women Practices Act, 2011 and Fund for Women in distress and detention Act 2011.

Meanwhile, while speaking at the occasion NCSW chairperson Anis Haroon said it was a great achievement for women’s movement and rights activists that an independent and autonomous commission exists in the country today. However, she added, financial constraints remain to be the main hurdle.

Participants at the launch called upon the government to formally set up the National Commission of Women (NCW) without any further delay.   The National Commission for Women Bill was made part of the constitution on March 8, after President Asif Ali Zardari signed the legislation.

Justice Kailash Nath Kohli demanded that the new commission should be made part of the constitution so that no other government can change its status.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2012.

Court summons K-P minister accused of slapping govt official

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has summoned a Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa minister for allegedly abusing and slapping an official of the Provincial Disaster Management Authority and Provincial Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority.

Awami National Party’s Ayyub Ashari, the provincial minister for science and technology, allegedly slapped complainant Sanaullah, a forest conservator who is working as a project director for the Early Recovery of Agriculture and Livelihood Programme, for refusing to oblige a person the minister had asked him to.

On Wednesday, Sanaullah told the court that on February 25, the minister called him at his office, instructing him to talk to responsible officials in Swat and give some fruit plants to another person.

Sanaullah said he then contacted an official at Mingora and, inquiring about the person the minister had referred, told the official to give him fruit plants if he was deserving of it.

The minister called again but Sanaullah missed it as he had stepped out of office for Zuhr prayers. At 4pm on February 25, the minister barged into Sanaullah’s office along with an assistant and reportedly abused Sanaullah and slapped him across the face.

“Have you approached senior officials of your department?” PHC Chief Justice Dost Muhammad Khan asked.

Sanaullah responded in the affirmative, saying he had told his seniors about the incident in writing and had also sent an email to the PDMA director general.

“The minister crossed limits by abusing and violating oath of office. He should be put on notice for a comprehensive reply and to appear before the court in person on April 12,” the chief justice ordered.

Ashari is already facing a party-level inquiry into allegations of his clash with Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Education Minister Sardar Babak.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 22^nd, 2012.

Nato attack: Parliamentary committee says Pakistan should demand apology

ISLAMABAD: The Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) has recommended that Pakistan should demand an unconditional apology from the United States for the Nato attack on Salala check  post which killed 24 Pakistani soldiers on November 26, 2011.

PCNS Chairman Senator Raza Rabbani, reading the recommendations during a joint session of Parliament on Tuesday, stated that the attack was a “breach of international law and constitutes blatant violation of Pakistan’s sovereignty and territorial integrity”. The statement added that the Pakistani government should not only seek an apology but those behind the attack must also be brought to justice.

“Pakistan should be given assurances that such attack or any other attack impinging on Pakistan’s sovereignty will not reoccur and the Nato, ISAF, US will take effective measures to avoid any such measures.”

The committee also said that it wants the US to put a stop to drone strikes in Pakistan’s tribal areas.

It also recommends that there should be transparency on the number of foreign intelligence operators in Pakistan and prior permission be awarded and says no covert operations will be tolerated inside the country.

The United States must review its footsteps in Pakistan which means the secession of US drone strikes inside the territorial borders of Pakistan, (ii) no hot pursuit of boots on Pakistani territory, (iii) the activity of foreign private security contractors must be transparent and subject to Pakistani law. It needs to realise that drones are counter-productive, cause loss of valuable lives and property, radicalises the local population, create support for terrorists and fuel anti-US sentiments.

The statement also said that at least 50% of Nato containers passing through Pakistan may be handled through Pakistan Railways and added: “Any consideration of the reopening of Nato, ISAF, US containers must be contingent on a thorough revision of terms and conditions of the agreement including regulation and control on movement of goods.”

The statement said: “Taxes and other charges must be levied on all goods imported in or transmitting through Pakistan for the use of infrastructure and to compensate for its deterioration.”

The bicameral parliamentary committee was constituted to review terms of engagement with the US before going for normalisation of bilateral ties.

The revised terms of engagements also stated that all agreements including military cooperation and logistics will be circulated to the foreign ministry and concerned authorities. “All agreements will be vetted by the Ministry of Law and Justice and parliamentary affair.”

Relationships with the USA should be based on mutual respect for sovereignty, for independence and territorial integrity for each other.

The report emphasises that Pakistan’s nuclear program and assets including its safety and security cannot be compromised. “The US-Indo civil nuclear agreement has significantly altered the strategic balance in the region, therefore, Pakistan should seek from the US and others a similar treatment.”

It said that the strategic position of Pakistan regarding India on the subject of FMCT must not be compromised and this principle be kept in view in negotiations on this matter.

The report also reaffirms Pakistan’s commitment to the elimination of terrorism and combating extremism in pursuance of its national interest.

‘Military abduction’: Widow files petition to find missing son

Mumtaz Begum, citing the state and Rawalpindi police as respondents, alleged that on February 24, Punjab police’s elite force along with men in civvies took away here son Muhammad Saleem from their house in Gulshanabad on Adiala Road.  Justice Mazhar Iqbal Sindu of the LHC’s Rawalpindi bench directed the superintendent of police (SP) Headquarters Rawalpindi controlling the elite force to appear himself, or an officer not blow the rank of a deputy superintendent of police DSP in the court to respond to the petition of Mumtaz Begum by March 22.

The petitioner, an internally displaced person (IDP) from Swat, issued a statement through her lawyer Sanaullah Zaid, claiming that her son had been taken away by the military authorities to press the family to forfeit their land in Swat. “It was on the night between February 23 and 24 that the personnel raided my house and took away Saleem and his son Sohaib. They later released Sohaib but took away Saleem to an undisclosed location. I reported the matter to Saddar Berooni police and they registered an abduction case against unidentified men,” Begum claimed.

Explaining the background of the case, the petitioner added that her family, along with her late husband Abdul Ghaffar Khan left their house in Kota Tehsil Barikot district in Swat where he used to cultivate around 500 kanals of land, growing peach, apricot and plum. Since they were registered as IDPs, they were to go back after the military operation, but could not because they were being harassed and threatened.

“In July 2009, the army destroyed the orchards and took over our belongings, forcing my husband to move the Peshawar High Court (PHC) against the alleged illegal occupation of the land. The high court decided the case in favour of my husband,” she added.  Unfortunately the military authorities, instead of complying with the high court orders, harboured grudges against the petitioners and started harassing the family and their legal attorneys.

The petitioner further mentioned that they had moved the Supreme Court against the occupation of their land, and the court decided the case on January 27, saying the possession of the land was to be handed over back to the rightful owners, after a deputy attorney general said the occupation was temporary to safeguard the rights of the IDPs.

After the court’s ruling, Mumtaz Begum reiterated that the land was handed over to their legal attorney, but military officials present in Swat had started harassing them and threatened them not to interfere, as the orchards had been leased by the army to civilian contractors.

She urged the LHC to declare the detention of Saleem as unlawful, and to direct the authorities to produce him before the court.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 20^th, 2012.

‘Media played vital role in airing plight of terror victims’

SWAT – Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesperson, Malakand division, Col Arif Mehmood has said that media has played a vital role in highlighting the plight of people who became victims of terrorism during the last several years. Journalists of Swat played an important role in restoring peace at Swat and their courage was exemplary, he observed. He was addressing journalists …

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