Posts Tagged ‘zardari’

Sindh card has “run out of credit,” says Nawaz

Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif addresses a public meeting at Dakhan, Shikarpur on Tuesday, May 15, 2012.—Online Photo

SHIKARPUR: Chief of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N), Mian Mohammad Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday said that the Sindh card could no longer be used as it had “run out of credit,” DawnNews reported.

Speaking to reporters in Shikarpur, the PML-N chief blamed the country’s rulers of being disconnected from the people and oblivious to their problems.

He said it was time the government paid attention to the masses’ issues and served the people.

Moreover, the former prime minister alleged that Rehman Malik’s past was rife with graft cases, saying that the interior minister had previously been convicted by the courts.

“Who is he to accuse others? He is not an angel,” said Sharif. “He (Malik) joined forces with Zardari to save himself. Now they are only protecting each other.”

Malik has accused the PML-N chief of money-laundering and corruption worth $32 million — claims the interior minister vows to prove.

The Supreme Court is hearing a case into allegations that the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) illegally financed politicians in the 1990s through the now defunct Mehran Bank Limited. The bank’s former chief, Younis Habib, claims he delivered money by hand to the PML-N chief, and paid his brother, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, a sum of Rs 2.5 million.

The PML-N denies the allegations, calling the claims baseless and a “pack of lies”.

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Via DAWN.com

Key decision: Chicago invite further smoothes NATO route

ISLAMABAD: A Nato invitation to Pakistan for a key summit in Chicago hours before a high-level civil-military huddle says it all: The decision to reopen vital land routes for the foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan was a foregone conclusion.

As was expected, the high-powered Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) on Tuesday finally gave a go-ahead to lift the almost six-month old blockade on Nato supplies passing through the country.

The supplies were suspended in November last year in reprisal to a Nato air raid on a Pakistani border post that had killed 24 soldiers and strained Pakistan-US relations to the breaking point.

But after weeks of hectic overt and covert negotiations, the two sides have finally struck a deal.

The DCC, the highest coordination forum between the civil and military authorities on issues of national security, authorised relevant ministries/departments to conclude the ongoing negotiations on the new terms and conditions for resumption of GLOCs (Ground Lines of Communications).

According to the official announcement, the new terms and conditions should incorporate a clause, as recommended by parliament, to the effect that only non-lethal cargo would be allowed to transit through Pakistan to Afghanistan.

Though the statement did not give any timeline, official sources disclosed that the new terms and conditions have already been finalised for the resumption of Nato supplies.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is likely to be formally approved by the federal cabinet, which is due to meet today (Wednesday) in the federal capital.

Interestingly, the government went ahead with its decision without getting an unconditional apology from the US for the deadly US air raid and a halt in the drone attacks inside the tribal regions.

Those two were the main preconditions set by parliament last month for reconfiguring ties with the United States.

In an attempt to tame the possible public backlash, the DCC decided that the foreign ministry would continue to remain engaged with the US on other parliamentary recommendations, including the question of a formal apology and cessation of drone attacks.

It was also decided that the military authorities should negotiate fresh border ground rules of Nato/Isaf to ensure that Salala-like incidents do not recur.

It welcomed the ‘unconditional invitation’ extended by Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to President Asif Zardari to attend the historic gathering of over 60 world leaders to discuss the Afghan endgame.

Earlier, Rasmussen telephoned President Zardari and invited him to the Nato summit being held in Chicago on May 20-21.

Last week, the Nato chief had tacitly linked Pakistan’s participation in the summit with the resumption of supply lines.

However, the presidential spokesperson insisted that the invitation was unconditional and not linked to the opening of Nato supply routes or to any other issue. The DCC endorsed the president’s visit to the summit. The committee also discussed parliament’s call for the expulsion of foreign fighters, if found, on Pakistan’s soil.

(Read: Reopening the supply routes)

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.

Homecoming: After 20 years, Dr Chishty finally crosses border

After twenty years of incarceration in Rajasthan’s Ajmer Jail, Dr Chishty arrived in Pakistan from India late Tuesday night. The 82-year-old virologist was brought back in a special plane sent by President Asif Ali Zardari.

While not completely free, Dr Chishty will remain in Pakistan until his November 1, 2012 hearing in the Indian Supreme Court. He was welcomed at the airport by Interior Minister Rehman Malik and Port and Shipping Minister Babar Ghauri at 11:25pm, from where he was driven in a Mercedes car to the President House with official protocol. Local Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leaders and activists showered rose petals on him.

President Zardari had discussed Dr Chishty’s case with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh during his recent visit to Ajmer.

Chishty was recently released from Ajmer Jail after being sentenced to a life imprisonment term in a murder case. The Indian SC granted bail on April 9 to the virologist and allowed him to visit Pakistan for a temporary stay on May 10.

“I am happy that I am going to my homeland to meet my family and friends. I would like to offer a thanksgiving prayer as soon as I reach the airport and then I will go to my home,” he told reporters at Jaipur railway station.

In Karachi, his family was seen waiting for his arrival, anxious and excited in a house decorated with lights in celebration. While talking to a private news channel, his daughter, Farah, said “It is a miracle. We have been waiting since morning for his return and now we will spend the whole night waiting for his arrival tomorrow. We have made his favourite food.” His grandchildren, several of whom he has never seen, appeared just as eager to meet their grandfather.

A special leave petition against Dr Chishty’s conviction is pending in the Indian Supreme Court while a clemency petition is pending before the Rajasthan governor.

The octogenarian was visiting his ailing mother in Ajmer in 1992 when he got embroiled into a family feud that led to the death of one of his relatives. He has been in Ajmer since, incarcerated at his ancestral home for eighteen years before being jailed following his conviction in January last year.

The teary-eyed Pakistani added that he would also go to Lahore to meet Sarabjit Singh, an Indian national facing a death sentence on charges of involvement in bomb blasts in Pakistan. Sarabjit has been languishing in prison in Lahore for the last 22 years. Diplomatic efforts are on to commute his death sentence to life imprisonment.

Dr Chishty completed his PhD from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1968 in Public Health Virology. “Inasmuch as we have posted the appeal for final disposal on 20th November, 2012, we permit him to visit his country, namely, Pakistan and return back to India positively by 1st November, 2012. As soon as he reaches his native country he has to surrender his passport with the Indian High Commission, Islamabad,” the Indian SC said in its verdict on the case.

Talking to media earlier on Tuesday, Interior Minister Rehman Malik said President Zardari played a pivotal role in the release of Dr Chishty during his recent visit to India. “President Zardari has been very kind to send his plane to New Delhi on the request of the Indian government to bring back Dr Chishty home,” he emphasised. (WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM OUR CORRESPONDENT IN KARACHI)

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.

Zardari will attend Chicago summit: Spokesperson

WASHINGTON: After US set aside the condition of reopening Nato supply route for the presence of Pakistan at the Chicago summit, President Asif Ali Zardari too has decided to attend the crucial meeting this weekend, the Pakistan Embassy in Washington said on Tuesday. It brought closure to speculation that Islamabad might be omitted from high-level talks on Afghanistan’s future.

Nadeem Hotiana, an embassy spokesman, confirmed that Zardari would attend the conference, scheduled for May 20-21.  Given that Washington, which had earlier extended the invitation despite an agreement on the reopening of the supply line yet to be reached, demonstrated that they valued Pakistan’s presence at the summit more.

Pakistan had shut the land communication route in November after a Nato attack that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Observing this, the Defence Committee of the Cabinet announced that it would endorse Zardari’s presence in Chicago later in the week.

Senior Pakistan officials including Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had both signalled a need to reopen the supply lines, observing that keeping the route shut was detrimental for Pakistan.

US looks forward to resolving Nato supply route issue with Pakistan

The US state department, quizzed over whether extending Pakistan an invitation to the Chicago summit meant abandoning the demand of reopening supply route, spokesperson Victoria Nuland reiterated that negotiations were still underway but it was considered important that Pakistan attend the moot.

“We are continuing our discussions with the Pakistanis. Our technical team is still there. We are making progress. We have not yet completed an agreement. We do consider the agreement important, but we also consider — and all of our NATO partners considered it important — to have Pakistan in the ISAF and neighbours event at the summit in Chicago,” she said.

Explaining the invitation to the summit, she said that “as a neighbour of Afghanistan, Pakistan does have an important role to play in supporting Afghan security. We do want to see these land routes opened. We are continuing to work on it. But we thought it was important to have them at the summit in this partnership role.”

Nuland though hoped that the route reopens before the summit commences. “Obviously, it’ll be a wonderful signal if we can get it done by the time of the summit. But we decided nonetheless — NATO countries all together decided that it was important to have Pakistan in the ISAF meeting.”

She reminded the gathered media persons that negotiations with Pakistan were far from over. “But it’s not finished till it’s finished.”

Fortnightly review of fuel prices approved

ISLAMABAD, May 15: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on Tuesday decided to review oil prices twice a month and allowed export of 400,000 tons of sugar in two phases.

Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh presided over the meeting, which did not consider a summary seeking raising of Rs82 billion through floating of terms finance certificates (TFCs) for meeting circular debt liability.

The decision regarding floating of TFCs was taken in a meeting headed by President Asif Ali Zardari on May 10, but it was linked with the approval of the ECC. No official word was issued to explain reasons for not considering the summary.

A high-level committee, constituted at the last ECC meeting to review the summary of the petroleum ministry seeking fortnightly price adjustment of petroleum products, recommended to review oil prices twice a month.

The ECC meeting also discussed the summary moved by water ministry about delay of payments by the power purchasers to independent power producers (IPPs) under Power Policy 2002.

The finance minister and the ECC members were of the view that water and power ministry should further improve the terms of settlement of the dues with IPPs and submit a report to the ECC.

The ECC granted the ex-post facto approval for establishment of a subsidiary of National Bank of Pakistan in Tajikistan to allow investment abroad by resident Pakistanis to remit the Tajik Somoni 50 million (approximately equivalent to $10.5 million).

A committee was constituted comprising minister for water and power, information technology, secretaries petroleum and law, representatives from Ogra and finance division to look into the summary for import of LNG.

While discussing the allocation of gas at wellhead of OGDCL dormant fields situated in Sindh, the finance minister directed the petroleum ministry to coordinate with the provincial government for getting formal approval from the latter in this regard.

The ECC also approved tariff protection to the industry manufacturing electrolytic tinplate. However, Mr Shaikh directed the commerce ministry to prepare a summary for strengthening the National Tariff Commission (NTC) and to decide the time of implementation of tariff protection to the industry.

The ECC also approved enhancement of exploration expenditures limit of $20 million to $40 million for Mari Gas Company Limited.

While approving the summary of Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Resources for acquisition of MND Exploration and Production Limited assets in Pakistan and Yemen through purchase of shares, the ECC instructed the concerned Ministry to ensure following of the law of the land in terms of foreign exchange.

The summary has sought that Pakistan Petroleum Limited may be authorised to bid for the sale of assets MND Exploration and Production Ltd.

The ECC also discussed various legal and technical aspects of proposal made by ministry of petroleum to refund of General Sales Tax (GST) on gas infrastructure development cess.

In this regard, FBR Chairman Mumtaz Haider Rizvi maintained that under the law there was no provision to refund the GST on gas infrastructure development cess to CNG owners.

Others summaries approved by ECC are “An overall financial limit to pursue international exploration opportunities” and “Extension in GOP guarantee against financing for National Investment Trust NIT-State Enterprise fund for further two years and reduction of guarantee amount from Rs20 billion to Rs12.2 billion.”

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Via DAWN.com

Dr Chishti arrives from India

ISLAMABAD, May 15: After spending 20 years in an Indian jail in a murder case, Pakistani scientist Dr Khalil Chishti returned to the country on Tuesday.

Dr Chishti was sentenced for life on Jan 31 last year by a trial court for a murder that took place in Ajmer in 1992.

He landed at Benazir International Airport at 11:30pm amid unruly scenes brought on by mismanagement on the part of Interior Minister Rehman Malik and misbehaviour by PPP workers.Clad in a beige safari suit and wearing a Jinnah cap, Dr Chishti looked haggard and weak.

He came out of the airport in a wheelchair and spoke to newsmen in a very low voice.

The 85-year-old microbiologist will join his family in Karachi on Wednesday. Before leaving for Karachi, he will meet President Asif Ali Zardari at the presidency.

He was taken straight to Marriott Hotel from the airport by the interior minister to spend a night there.

There was a perception that he was first taken to Islamabad, instead of Karachi, so that the government and the president could claim credit for his release.

However, the interior minister told newsmen that “it was Dr Chishti’s desire to first arrive in Islamabad so that he can thank the president”.

President Zardari had sent a special plane to bring Dr Chishti from New Delhi.

Dr Chishti said he had no words to express gratitude to the nation and the government. “After 20 years of imprisonment, I had lost hopes for a return to my country, but today I have no words how to express my feelings,” he said.

He said he was also thankful to the Indian government for allowing him to meet his family even though his case was still pending before the Indian Supreme Court. “I want to celebrate these happy moments in the twilight of my life with my family,” he said.

The scientist said he was implicated in a fake case because he had nothing to do with the murder.

The Indian Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Dr Chishti during the pendency of his appeal against a Rajasthan High Court order upholding his conviction.

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Via DAWN.com

Way cleared for Zardari to attend Chicago summit: Talks with US continue over apology: Nato routes set to reopen

ISLAMABAD, May 15: The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC), the main decision-making body on country’s security policy, on Tuesday cleared the way for President Asif Ali Zardari to attend the coming Nato summit and gave its nod for the conclusion of an agreement for opening of ground supply routes, used for sustaining needs of coalition forces in Afghanistan, after de-linking the matter from demand for apology over the killing of 24 soldiers in last year’s border attack.

The stalemate over apology by the US, which had impeded progress in bilateral talks for re-engagement, has been left for further dialogue, along with negotiations on the parliamentary demand for cessation of drone attacks.

“The DCC welcomed the unconditional invitation by the Nato secretary general to the president of Pakistan to attend Nato summit in Chicago. The DCC fully endorsed the visit of the president for the summit,” said a statement issued after a meeting of the committee, chaired by Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.

It was attended by federal ministers for defence, interior, foreign affairs and information, the chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee, the three services chiefs and the director general of ISI. Before the start of the meeting, Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen telephoned President Zardari to invite him to the May 20-21 summit in Chicago. The invitation came a day after Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar indicated Pakistan’s willingness to reopen the suspended Nato routes by saying it was now time to move on.

President Zardari, according to his office, told Mr Rasmussen that he would consider the invitation in the light of the guidelines of parliament and the advice of the government.

Now with the formality of government endorsement fulfilled, the president is set to fly to Chicago for the summit.

Afghanistan will top the agenda of the summit, to be attended by 28 Nato heads of state and government, leaders from many of the 50 nations that make up the International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) and countries providing supply routes to the trans-Atlantic politico-military alliance. The summit will also consider a long-term strategic partnership with Afghanistan for promoting security and stability there.

The government, fearful of isolation over Afghanistan and losing leverages in Afghan endgame, looked desperate to get an invitation to the summit, even though its media managers vehemently denying this impression.

President Zardari took special interest to see that the impasse in talks with Washington was addressed in time to secure the Chicago invitation.

Pakistan had suspended Nato supply routes following the Salala border attack on Nov 26 and ordered reassessment of terms of cooperation with the US and Nato by the parliament. The parliament sought apology over the incident, cessation of drone attacks, respect for Pakistan’s sovereignty and formalisation of cooperation pacts with the US, besides recommending restoration of the supply routes for non-lethal supplies and expulsion of foreign fighters who had taken refuge in Pakistani territory.

Demands for an end to unmanned predator drone strikes and apology became sticking points in the subsequent Pakistan-US negotiations.

However, technical groups from both sides continued discussions on new conditions for the ground supplies and are said to have already settled on a broad memorandum of understanding that would cover issues pertaining to costing, security of shipments, routes and type of goods to be transported.

“In keeping with the letter and spirit of the parliamentary committee’s recommendations, the DCC authorised officers of relevant ministries/departments to conclude the ongoing negotiation on the new terms and conditions for resumption of GLOCs (Ground Lines of Communications).

“The new terms and conditions should incorporate a clause, as recommended by parliament, to the effect that only non-lethal cargo will be allowed to transit through Pakistan to Afghanistan,” the DCC statement said.

The green signal from the DCC for concluding the agreement implies that the new pact on supply routes will be signed any time now.

Diplomatic sources say President Zardari will announce formal resumption of supplies at the Chicago summit.

Although it was evident that the government would not be able to keep the supply routes blocked for long, the course followed for reopening was essentially meant to minimise the chances of protest by hardliners opposed to supporting international efforts in Afghanistan.

The only news on divisive issues of apology and drones was that the Foreign Office had been asked to continue negotiations with the US.

“The committee further decided that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will continue to remain engaged with the government of the United States on other parliamentary recommendations, including the question of apology and cessation of drone attacks,” the statement released to the media said.

The DCC also discussed a recommendation for “expulsion of foreign fighters, if found, on the Pakistani side,” in addition to asking the military to settle fresh border ground rules with Nato/Isaf for preventing recurrence of Salala-like mishaps.

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Via DAWN.com

Islamabad gets Chicago invitation

ISLAMABAD – Nato on Tuesday invited Pakistan to key talks on the future of Afghanistan in Chicago next week as Islamabad signalled it was about to end a nearly six-month blockade on supply routes.
Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen telephoned President Asif Ali Zardari Tuesday afternoon and invited him to the May 20-21 summit, said presidential spokesperson Senator Farhatullah …

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Nawaz to resist Sindh’s bifurcation

SHIKARPUR- PML-N President Mian Ex Prime minister Mian Nawaz SharifTuesday said he had no objection over bifurcation of Punjab, but he would never allow the same for Sindh.
Addressing a public rally in Shikarpur, Nawaz said he would never speak of any possible division of Sindh, even if President Asif Ali Zardari’s talked 100 times about creating new provinces in Punjab.
He declared the reinstatement of …

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‘Time to move on’

At a high-level meeting held at the Presidency on Monday and jointly chaired by President Asif Zardari Bhutto and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani, it was agreed that the national pride and honour would not be allowed to be compromised in any decision taken to restore the supply line for Nato goods. The meeting was attended, among others, by Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Defence Minister Ahmed …

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NATO invites Pakistan to Chicago summit

ISLAMABAD: NATO has invited President Asif Ali Zardari to next week’s summit in Chicago, a presidential spokesperson told AFP on Tuesday.

Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen had called Zardari in the afternoon to invite him to the summit.

Spokesperson to the President, Farhatullah Babar said that the invitation was unconditional and not linked to the reopening of ground lines of communication for Nato or to any other issues.

Zardari said that he would consider the invitation in light of the guidelines of the Parliament and the advice of the government. He said that the decision will be communicated to Nato later.

NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said Pakistan had “an important role” to play in the future of Afghanistan, which will be the focus of the second day of the summit.

“We’re working very closely with Pakistan to allow the opening of the transit line because obviously this is in everybody’s interest,” she said.

The defence committee of cabinet is to convene at around 1430 GMT, followed by a cabinet meeting on Wednesday which is widely expected to decide to reopen overland NATO supply lines into Afghanistan, closed since November.

Sources familiar with the discussions told AFP the government had effectively decided to end the blockade, probably by the beginning of next week.

Both sides had found “broad agreement” on logistics for the fuel and other non-lethal supplies that would go overland through Pakistan to Afghanistan, one source said.

“The meetings will indicate that the decision has the backing of all the stakeholders,” the source told AFP.

“This should minimise the prospect for militant groups to exploit the situation in the hope that they’ll get the backing of the military establishment.”

Pakistan previously negotiated a fee of $160 per 40-foot container and is now looking to secure anywhere from $320 to $500, although the figure has yet to be agreed, one source told AFP.

The United States has also guaranteed payment of at least $1.1 billion should the borders reopen, as compensation for fighting militants, the source added.

Mir Mohammad Yousuf Shahwani, chairman of the All Pakistan Oil Tanker Owners Association, told AFP he had been informed by a senior official in the petroleum ministry that Pakistan would reopen the supply line within days.

The invitation comes a day after Foreign Minister Khar had stated that Pakistan wanted to ‘move beyond’ the Salala incident as it had made its point by keeping the Nato routes shut for almost six months.

Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen had said earlier this week that Pakistan’s participation in the summit in Chicago, scheduled for May 20-21, hinges on its decision on the supply route for the alliance’s mission in Afghanistan.

Both Khar and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had made it clear on Monday that the government is ready to drop its insistence on a formal US apology over the killing of two dozen Pakistani troops in the airstrikes on border posts in Salala, Mohmand Agency.

Nato supply routes have been closed for over six months in response to a US attack on a check post that killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.

Cold shoulder: Jamaat-e-Islami snubs PML-N alliance offer

Soon after the Supreme Court decision convicting Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani in contempt case, PML-N leadership had announced that it will be approaching other parties to build up pressure on the government.

In response to Nawaz Sharif’s offer, PTI’s Imran Khan said that before entering into any negotiations his party would want PML-N to quit the assemblies, both in centre and provinces.

Both PTI and JI boycotted the 2008 elections and have no presence in any of the assemblies now.

JI had even harsher pre-conditions. Unwilling to rent out its street power JI conveyed to PML-N that before moving further lets have an agreement to first get rid of President Asif Ali Zardari and quit the assemblies – a harsher pre-condition for PML-N.

“Yes different parties including PML-N have contacted us. These talks are at very initial stage. No common agenda has been reached so far with any of these parties,” JI secretary general Liaquat Baloch said.

“We want talks on some minimum common ground. It should be to get rid of rulers. For transparent elections…. but free and fair elections are not possible while Zardari is sitting in Presidency,” Baloch said while giving bottom line of his party for negotiations.

On ousting a constitutionally elected president, Baloch said at least Zardari should be confined to his constitutional role, as President and barred from his role as PPP head.

Baloch confirmed his party’s contacts with PTI and the option of the revival of MMA, an alliance of rightwing religious parties, which had succeeded in forming governments in Khyer Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan in 2002 elections. Baloch said his party was leaving all its options open and things will finalise near the election days.

PML-N deputy secretary information Khurum Dastagir confirmed contacts with JI but did not elaborate on the outcome of these negotiations. “We are trying to reach out to opposition parties as well as parties in the ruling alliance.” On question of contacts with JI he said “we have revived contacts with the Jamaat. We have also softened our stance to accommodate other parties’ point of view to forge alliances,” he said.

PML-N has recently forged alliances with Like-Minded group of PML-Q and is trying for similar deals with nationalist parties in Sindh.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2012.

Homecoming: Dr Khalil Chishty to arrive in Pakistan today

NEW DELHI: Dr Khalil Chishty’s journey back home has begun.

The octogenarian Pakistani virologist arrived in Delhi from Ajmer – where he spent 20 years in incarceration – via Jaipur and will, in the next few hours, be flying back to Karachi.

An Indian Supreme Court order in April this year and a consequent order from the same court last week have facilitated Dr Chishty’s journey to meet his family members in Pakistan. He will have to report back on November 1.

For Dr Chishty – who was sentenced to life imprisonment on January 31, 2011 after a protracted trial for his alleged involvement in a murder in 1992 – this is the first time in two decades that he crossed the Rajasthan border.

Local newspapers described the grief of the situation as he left the state in which he had been incarcerated for two decades.

Dr Chisty told the media: “I am thankful to you all. You all have been very kind.”

His brother Jameel Chishty was travelling with him while his son Tariq joined him Delhi.

“First, I will go to a mosque to thank the Almighty. Then I will meet my dear ones at home,” Dr Chishty said when asked what he would first do when he is home. When asked about the chances of clemency, he said, “I have faith in the goodness of the people and fairness of the judiciary here.”

Speaking to the media in Ajmer, Dr Chishty was confident that he would be forgiven. “I am innocent. I will be happier if I am pardoned,” he said.

A Special Leave Petition against his conviction is pending in the Indian Supreme Court while a clemency petition is pending before the Rajasthan Governor.

President Zardari’s plane leaves for India to bring Chishty home

Interior Minister Rehman Malik announced on Tuesday that a plane, provided by President Asif Ali Zardari, has left for India to bring Dr Chishty to Pakistan.

Speaking to the media, Malik said, “President Zardari has been very kind, he has given his plane to carry Dr Chishty back home.”

He also said that President Zardari had discussed Dr Chishty’s case with the Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh, during his visit to Ajmer Sharif.

Message of reconciliation: Asma urges Nawaz to end political deadlock

LAHORE: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) made its first move to reconcile with the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) on Monday through a message conveyed by renowned lawyer Asma Jahangir.

The message was simple: the PPP is ready to negotiate with the PML-N over early elections, sources privy to the development told The Express Tribune.

According to an official handout, Asma was accompanied by a delegation of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) who met the PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif in Lahore.

Asma advised Sharif to end the political deadlock with the government and cease demands on the issue of the prime minister’s conviction. She said that the continued rift between the government and the opposition would encourage the anti-state forces to exploit the situation.

Furthermore, she informed Nawaz that the lawyers’ community was in favour of early elections as well and urged him to move dialogue forward to ensure free and fair elections. Nawaz replied to Asma’s request, saying that early elections were the solution to the current political crisis, adding that she (Asma) should support the PML-N’s stance in the appointment of an independent chief election commissioner.

According to sources, Asma had been sent to Nawaz on the request of President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari to convey the message of reconciliation.

The PPP wants Nawaz to play an integral role in abridging the gap between PPP-led coalition government and the Supreme Court, sources added. Nawaz would be asked to help calm the judiciary and the lawyers’ community and discuss early elections with them.  The delegation invited Nawaz to attend Supreme Court Bar Association  National Conference in Islamabad. Nawaz accepted the invitation to address the conference.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 15^th, 2012.

Gilani chairs DCC meeting over US ties

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani chairs a Defence Committee of the Cabinet meeting at the PM House. — File Photo by Online

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Tuesday is chairing an important meeting of the Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) to review Pakistan’s troubled ties with the United States, DawnNews reported.

Heads of all three forces, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, ISI chief as well as federal ministers from defence, interior, foreign affairs, finance and information ministries are also attending the meeting.

The meeting will review country’s stranded ties with the war ally US and will also reflect on ways to come to a ‘face-saving deal’ that would allow both sides to move beyond the Salala issue which has been holding up the crucial relationship for months.

Nato, earlier on Tuesday, invited Pakistan to key talks on the future of Afghanistan in Chicago next week as Islamabad signalled it was about to end a nearly six-month blockade on supply routes.

Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen telephoned President Asif Ali Zardari to invite him to the May 20-21 summit, Islamabad said, a day after Pakistan’s foreign minister said it was time to “move on” after US air strikes killed 24 soldiers last November.

Islamabad shut its Afghan border crossings to Nato supplies after the deaths and its relations with the United States, already frayed by the discovery of Osama bin Laden in Pakistan, plunged into their worst ever crisis.

As the government is convening back-to-back meetings of the country’s highest defence policy coordination forum —Defence Committee of the Cabinet— and the federal cabinet on Tuesday and Wednesday, it was more than clear that the moment of decision in ties with the United States, which have been in an indeterminate state since the Nov 26 Salala incident, has finally arrived.

At the two meetings, the civil and military leadership will decide on how to go ahead with resumption of normal relations with Washington, including the reopening of Nato supply routes.

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Via DAWN.com

President reviews energy situation in country

President Asif Ali Zardari chairs a meeting over energy situation in the country. – File Photo by PPI

ISLAMABAD: A meeting was held at the presidency on Tuesday with President Asif Ali Zardari in the chair to review the energy situation in the country.

Those who attended the meeting included among others Federal Minister for Finance Dr. Abdul Hafeez Sheikh, Federal Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar, Federal Minister for Petroleum & Natural Resources Dr. Asim Hussain, federal secretaries of concerned ministries and other officials of relevant departments besides Spokesperson to the President Senator Farhatullah Babar.

Briefing about the meeting, Senator Babar said the meeting reviewed the current energy situation in the country.

The water & power minister, while briefing the meeting about the power generation, said there was no unscheduled loadshedding in the country.

Senator Babar said that the president directed that a special control room be set up in the ministry of water & power which should display on the screen complete and updated information about the power generation from different power plants, distribution to various distribution companies and areas subjected to loadshedding.

He also directed that the same system be replicated in the presidency so that a special unit in his office could also monitor the situation with regards to energy generation, supply and distribution and loadshedding.

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Via DAWN.com

Cash-strapped ally swallows its pride

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan looked set to reopen Nato supplies as Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar said on Monday it was time to ‘move on’.
She spoke to press conference after top civil and military leadership of the country held a crucial meeting to discuss troubled relations with the US ahead of a key Nato summit in Chicago on future of Afghanistan.
President Asif Ali Zardari and …

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