Saturday, 23 January 2010
Hasb-e-Haal - Aftab Iqbal - 23rd December 2009
.
Saturday, 23 January 2010
0
comments
Rehman Malik may be the first to face the axe
Labels: Pakistan TodayRehman Malik may be the first to face the axe
By By Ansar Abbasi ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik is faced with an immediate threat of disqualification as member of the Parliament and the federal cabinet and is also liable to be put behind the bars if the Supreme Court judgment on NRO is implemented by the government.
The interior minister is reported to have obtained bail against two NAB corruption references that were re-opened after the apex court’s December 16 short order, while in two FIA cases he continues to be a proclaimed offender besides being a dismissed government employee.
These facts disqualify him as a senator and also make him vulnerable to be arrested for being a proclaimed absconder. Despite repeated efforts made by this correspondent, Rehman Malik was not available to offer his comment. The minister’s counsel Amjad Iqbal Qureshi said that Malik’s conviction in absentia in two NAB references has been suspended by the Lahore High Court (LHC) that, according to Qureshi, also granted him bail in those cases.
Amjad Qureshi, who was appointed as judge of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) by the present government on Dogar’s recommendation but lost the same because of the apex court’s July 31 judgment, was however, unaware of the FIA cases against Malik in which the interior minister is reportedly still an absconder.
Sources in the FIA said in FIR No.62/98, dated 06.11.1998 lodged under section 4 of Exit from Pakistan (Control) Ordinance 1981 & Sec 3/4 of Passport Act 1974 in Police Station/Passport Cell FIA Peshawar, Rehman Malik was accused to leaving the country through un-authorised route despite being on ECL. The case, the sources said, was challenged and proceeding under section 512 CrPC completed following which Malik was declared proclaimed offender by the court.
In another FIR No.5/99 dated 21.01.1999 lodged under sections 193/211 PPC read with 5(2)47 Prevention of Corruption Act Police Station/Passport Cell FIA Faisalabad, a case was registered against Rehman Malik and sub inspector of FIA Shaukat Mehmood for wrongful registration of case FIR No.16/96 at FIA Faisalabad circle against Barkhurdar & Sarrang Khan due to ulterior motives. Rehman Malik was declared proclaimed offender under section 512 of CrPC. The case was completed on 21.09.2006 and was consigned to record room vide order dated 13.12.2006. A senior FIA source confided to The News that in the above two cases, Rehman Malik has not taken bail till now and these cases are pending with FIA and that the minister in these cases is still proclaimed offender.
Additionally, Malik was additional director general FIA and was under suspension when he fled the country. Later he was dismissed in absentia from service, which was never reversed.
After the Supreme Court’s decision on NRO, the situation remains unchanged regarding his dismissal from service. The incumbent secretary establishment Ismail Qureshi, when contacted, said that he did not receive any case of Rehman Malik after December 16. Director General FIA Zafarullah Khan, when contacted, also contended that he does not know of the two FIRs registered against Rehman Malik by the FIA. He said if these FIRs are more than a decade old then their cases must be pending before the courts. He said that he would check the record and see if there are any pending cases against the interior minister or not.
Article 63(i) of the constitution clearly disqualifies a person to become member of the Parliament if a person has been dismissed from the service of Pakistan or service of a corporation or office set up or controlled by the federal government, provincial government or a local government on the grounds of misconduct or moral turpitude.
Article 63(j), which deals with disqualification of the members of the Parliament, also disqualifies a person, who has been removed or compulsorily retired from the service of Pakistan or service of a corporation or office set up or controlled by the federal government, provincial government or a local government on the grounds of misconduct or moral turpitude.
Malik was sent at least two SMS messages by the correspondent, requesting him to talk to this correspondent to give his version on the story. His mobile remained unanswered despite repeated attempts made. He was contacted at his office where he was present but did not talk to this correspondent.
Friday, 22 January 2010
US gives Pakistan more! money to kill its own people
.
Friday, 22 January 2010
0
comments
By Anwar Iqbal
Sunday, 20 Dec, 2009
The military spending bill includes $80 million to acquire more unmanned ‘Predator’ drones, a key tool in the US air war in Afghanistan and Pakistan. - File photo
WASHINGTON: The US defence budget, approved by Congress on Saturday, includes hundreds of millions of dollars for Pakistan.
The $636.3 billion package, approved by the US Senate by an 88-10 margin, includes two items that will benefit Pakistan: the Pakistan Counter-insurgency Capability Fund and the Coalition Support Fund.
Under the PCCF, Pakistan will receive a total of $700 million. The CSF applies to Pakistan, Afghanistan, Jordan and sometimes Egypt. Pakistan has an outstanding bill of between $1.7 billion and $1.8 billion against this fund.
Pakistani authorities who deal with this process believe that after adjustments, Pakistan should be able to get a little more than a billion dollars from the CSF.
The approval, however, will come after the resolution of the visa dispute. The US State Department said last week that Pakistan had withheld visas for hundreds of US officials and contractors, including some accountants associated with the CSF.
Pakistani diplomats in Washington told Dawn that they hoped the dispute would soon be resolved.
Under the CSF, the United States reimburses Pakistan for fighting militants along the Pak-Afghan border.
Pakistans claims are scrutinized by US accountants in Islamabad and then sent to the Pentagon for further approval.
Meanwhile, the US Congress on Saturday sent US President Barack Obama a massive annual military spending bill for signing that funds current operations in Afghanistan and pays for the troop withdrawal from Iraq.
In a rare weekend vote, the Senate approved the $636.3 billion package by an 88-10 margin. The bill had cleared the House of Representatives 395-34 on Wednesday.
President Obama is expected to send Congress an emergency spending measure of at least $30 billion early next year to pay for his recently announced decision to send 30,000 more US troops to Afghanistan.
The bill includes $101.1 billion for operations and maintenance and military personnel requirements in Iraq and Afghanistan and to carry out the planned withdrawal of all US combat forces from Iraq by August 2010.
The package also funds the purchase of 6,600 new Mine Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) armoured vehicles configured to better resist improvised explosive devices — roadside bombs used to deadly effect by insurgents in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The bill includes $80 million to acquire more unmanned ‘Predator’ drones, a key tool in the US air war in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The spending bill upholds Mr Obamas ban on torture of detainees in US custody, continues a general provision forbidding the establishment of permanent bases in Iraq or Afghanistan, and provides no funds to close the prison for suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay.
Should justice be delivered at every cost?
Labels: Misc, Pakistan TodayChief Justice of Pakistan has Justice should be delivered at every cost: 
Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Thursday said that justice must be delivered regardless of how heavy price you pay for it.
Speaking at a ceremony in the Supreme Court of Pakistan here, the Chief Justice said it was a testing time and urged the people to pray for them.
Reading the famous saying of Hazrat Ali (A.S.), the Chief Justice said: “A rule of Kufr (infidelity) can survive but a rule of injustice can't.”
“We are waging a struggle for such a society where justice is available to everyone,” he added.
He said that people showed faith in judiciary because of its principled stand and vowed that judiciary would not break the peoples’ trust. The chief justice feared that hopelessness would arise if courts would not deliver justice.
Justice is the strong relation among judiciary, lawyers and people, he said, adding that people want to see independent courts working in line with the Constitution.
“Thank God, lawyers have lived up to the expectations of people,” remarked Justice Chaudhry. He noted that the main concern of a common man is an immediate delivery of justice as he does not understand the legal complications.
The Chief Justice further said expectations are high from the young lawyers, who led the lawyers’ movement from the front.
He said that number of family and civil judges was being increased, saying 100 civil judges have been hired in Punjab while recommendations have been forwarded to the government for the appointment of civil judges in NWFP.
Justice Chaudhry also expressed his desire to see more women judges in the courts. “The issue of appointing women judges is also included in the agenda of national judicial policy.”
Monday, 18 January 2010
Pakistan has vital role for stability in Afghanistan
.
Monday, 18 January 2010
0
comments
KABUL, Jan. 17 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan will not have peace and
stability unless the post-Taliban country enjoys support from
neighboring countries especially Pakistan, the Special U.S. Envoy for
Afghanistan and Pakistan Richard Holbrooke said here Sunday.
"I don't believe that you can have full peace and stability in
Afghanistan unless you have support from Pakistan for that objection,"
Holbrooke told an open discussion attended by political analysts,
journalists and public opinion leaders.
He also added that the problems are fighting war across the border
and militants sanctuary which is a matter of concern for Afghanistan.
"President Karzai talks about that a lot of years and we agree
that the problems of sanctuaries must be solved," he stressed
"I came here from Islamabad and talked about the subject with
President Zardari, the members of the Pakistan government and with
military and I made my views very clear on behalf of our government,"
he added.
Taliban militants frequently transfer across the border area
between Afghanistan and Pakistan, making it difficult to curb the
Taliban insurgency from the Afghan side alone.
U.S. military in the latest wave of targeting militants in
Pakistan's tribal area attacked north Wazirustan by unmanned plane,
killing 15 suspected insurgents, according to media reports
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)