Former SC judges call for neutral EC and rejects Musharraf ,s Amendments

Six former judges of the Supreme Court of Pakistan out of which five have also been Chief Justices of the Sindh High Court have demanded the re-constitution of the Election Commission of Pakistan before General Elections 2008 in agreement with all political parties. Addressing a press conference Tuesday at a local hotel, four of them - Justice Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui, Justice Nasir Aslam Zahid, Justice Khalilur Rahman Khan and Justice Kamal Mansur Alam – announced that they have formed a Committee for the Rule of Law (CRL), keeping in view the prevailing scenario in the country. They held a meeting in Karachi Monday and considered the constitutionality and the impact of recent amendments made in the Constitution of 1973 by President Pervez Musharraf. After careful consideration, we rejected the constitutional amendments and reiterated our position that any individual, however powerful he may be, has no right to amend the Constitution and that Parliament alone has the authority to do this, they said. They clarified that the only power given to the Supreme Court under the Constitution is to interpret and declare what a particular provision of the Constitution or the law means. The amendment of the Constitution by an individual, therefore, is nothing but an act of usurpation of power of Parliament which cannot be justified on any known principle of jurisprudence. The judges also reiterated their earlier rejection of Gen. (retd) Musharraf’s alleged suspension of the Constitution under the garb of a Proclamation of Emergency, emphasizing that no court, authority or person has any right or jurisdiction to suspend the Constitution. The judges urged political parties not to undertake or validate any of the actions or legislative instruments of Gen. (r) Musharraf done or promulgated since November 03, 2007. The unauthorized amendments to the Constitution, the judges said, have robbed the ongoing process of elections of their credibility. Later, in informal question-answer session, they said that CRL was formed for to establish the rule of law and supremacy of Constitution of Pakistan. To another question, they said that judges removed under PCO-1 of 2007 are still judges, therefore no question of their inclusion in the CRL arises. ar qureshi

Top Of The list....Musharraf and Choudries Pakistan

The latest Global Corruption Barometer, released by the Berlin-based corruption watchdog, Transparency International (TI), places Pakistan at seventh place from bottom on a list of 60 countries ranked on the basis of corruption. The bribes people needed to pay to obtain services that should be available to them free of charge was one of the focal points of the study. As such, the Barometer also addresses the issue of the insidious, petty corruption that people in many countries, including Pakistan, must deal with on a regular basis. While the issue of larger-scale, political corruption has generated considerable national discussion, and has been the topic of heated debate, the dishonesty that exists at the lower levels of the system has perhaps not attracted the degree of attention it deserves. In Pakistan, 44 per cent of respondents surveyed for the study reported paying out bribes. This number compares favourably with that for the Cameroons, where 79 per cent said they had paid out such sums. But before we begin congratulating ourselves on finishing ahead of several countries including Nigeria, Albania, Kosovo and Macedonia on the list, all Pakistanis, and particularly those who play any part in governance or hope to do so in the future, must note that Pakistan fares worse than all its South Asian neighbours, and indeed is, apart from the Philippines which finishes just behind it, the only Asian country included in the bottom ten countries on the list. The general finding that the police department was perceived as the most corrupt of all will also come as no surprise to Pakistanis, particularly those unfortunate enough to have been forced in any way to deal with the police set up at the lower tiers.The findings released by TI come as a reminder that Pakistan still has a long way to go to overcome the curse of corruption, which plagues it at many different levels. Whereas the country had climbed several significant rungs up from the bottom on the corruption ladder during the early years of the current decade, it has, since then, slid down once more. Various studies on the phenomenon of corruption, including academic investigations by Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen, have noted that the small-scale corruption which exists within systems is often the hardest to eradicate, but is also the kind of corruption that has the biggest impact on the lives of ordinary people. This is easy to understand if one thinks of the bribes paid out regularly by so many individuals -- to have faulty telephone lines fixed, to have land registrations completed, house plans passed or simply to obtain a driving licence or other document.Because of the scale of its impact, there is a need to place it on a higher priority as an issue. This is both because an improvement in the situation, perhaps by studying how other countries at the same developmental level are able to avoid it on the same scale, would save Pakistan the annual ignominy it suffers when TI releases its list and also spare many people the nuisance and unnecessary waste of much-needed cash resources that come with bribery in all its many forms.

Lie in Action ...Irfan Bukhari......the Nation

She was fulminating on the organisers of the workshop and according to her it was an extravaganza on public exchequer with no fruitful results while having a chunk of pineapple cake in one hand and a cup of sizzling coffee in the other.Dressed up to nines she, a human rights’ activist, was participating in the event at the organiser’s sponsored air ticket and also enjoying an executive suit in a four star hotel of the capital. Speaking English in an artificial accent she said, “ These NGOs in collaboration with international donors and Pakistani ministries are serving nothing at grass root levels. They just deliberate and debate in cold, cosy halls and waste huge amount of money”.She was insistently flaying the trend of conducting seminars and workshops. Taking a bite of sandwich, she noted that she had grave concerns over the culture. She is not alone in criticising the holding of indoor moots. In every such event you would have observed such kind of cognitive dissonance theory stricken ladies and gentlemen. They feel no hesitation in receiving air fares, enjoying tranquil sleeping rooms, sitting in the front rows in a bid to get limelight in media, raising questions and suggesting advices in ‘You Know’ replete English, playing fork and knife at dinning tables, making new friends, shaking hands with ministers and getting certificates. Then why, why they harshly criticise the whole process? Do they want to satisfy their inner selves? Do they desire people’s attraction? Do they want to exhibit their loyalty towards the nation & country? Don’t they have anything else to say to register their contribution in the conference? Are they habitual critics? And in the end has the culture of hypocrisy taken roots so deeply into our national character?May be all such factors play a role to some extent but one thing is dead sure that hypocrisy has emerged as our common habit. We abhor America but dream to get its visa. We condemn corrupt politicians but always cast vote for them. We lambast child labour but employ them to serve in our homes. We dislike dictatorship but not support pro democracy movements by heart and soul. We wish rule of law but do not feel reluctant in violating it. A man or woman when says that such seminars can not introduce any remarkable change in incumbent scenario, he or she must also tell the feasible way to resolve the knots. If they are sincere in their criticism they should not attend such events to be loyal with their own conviction. Abraham Lincoln once said, “He has the right to criticise who has the heart to help”. If critics can do some thing marvellous at the ground then what bars them to do so. “ Hypocrite is man who complains that there is much vulgarity on TV nowadays”, said some anonymous and he said very well. If the critics of seminars and workshops take it as a mere waste of monetary resources then why they become the partners in crime? In the end a quote of Robertson be remembered that notes, “ There are three things in the world that deserve no mercy: hypocrisy, fraud and tyranny”.

Abbi Na Rukna

Observe december 10 ,as a Black day

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan calls upon all members of civil society to observe the Universal Human Rights Day as a "black day". The worst human rights abuses, in the history of the country, were recorded in 2007. The rights of ordinary people have been violated by the government with impunity. More than 400 people have been picked up by security forces and many remain missing. The Musharraf regime obstructed the Supreme Court in providing justice to those who remain disappeared, as well as those who recorded their statements of having suffered extreme forms of torture at the hands of the security forces. Reports of torture, threats, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests run into thousands. Incidents of extrajudicial killings continue to be reported but never investigated.The situation has now reached alarming proportions. The coercive apparatus of the State are being blatantly used against all sections of civil society. The media is chained and free expression censured. Thousands of lawyers, journalists, students, teachers and human rights activists were arrested. A number of them remain incarcerated under deplorable conditions. Lawyers and others have been accused of offences falling under the Anti-Terrorism Act. Thirty-five judges of superior courts have been put under house arrest. The family of the Chief Justice of Pakistan is also confined to their residence. This is unprecedented.The rights of the people are being usurped on the pretext of curbing terrorism. It is the people who are suffering terrorism; both at the hands of non-state militants and state agents. The government has failed to bring militants to justice or to disarm them. On the contrary, at several occasions, the government and its agents have patronized or in the least, ignored criminal acts carried out by militants acting in the name of Islam.HRCP warns that the claim made by Musharraf of moving towards a transition to democracy is a total farce. The assertion is yet another smack on the face of the people of Pakistan. Amendments to the Legal Practitioners and Bar Council Act as well as the Army Act are only a few examples of the government's grand plan to subjugate the spirit of peaceful members of civil society. Much more is to follow.HRCP, along with other civil society groups, will organize a black day on the 10th of December. Black flags and bands should be displayed on this unworthy occasion. In order to record the laudable struggle of the legal fraternity of Pakistan HRCP will award the best documentary film made on this movement. All entries are to be submitted by 30 June 2008.Asma JahangirChairperson Human Rights Commission of Pakistan

Nine dead in Nebraska shooting

A 19-year-old man opened fire with a rifle inside a shopping centre crowded with Christmas shoppers in Omaha, Nebraska, on Wednesday, killing eight people and then himself, police said.
Five people were wounded in the rampage at the Westroads Mall, two of them critically, according to hospital spokesmen.
Police said the mother of the gunman brought them a note that was "suicidal" in nature. KETV, a local television station, identified the man as Robert Hawkins.
Witnesses said they hid in bathrooms, closets and under racks of clothes, some praying as an estimated two dozen shots rang through the centre.
The gunman shot one man in the head from a third-floor balcony and others at point-blank range, witnesses said. Some of the victims were waiting in line to get Christmas presents wrapped at Von Maur, an upscale department store.

The case for and against a boycott.... Bilal Hassan Minto

In speculating about how the present turmoil in Pakistani politics will settle, many commentators have laid a lot of importance upon the US factor. One common refrain is that since its war on terror the US has all its eggs foolishly placed in just a single basket called Musharraf, it wants him to continue to be in charge of this Islamic Republic. The trouble with this is that, as soon as Martial Law is lifted, Musharraf will become an ordinary civilian president with only Article 58 (2) (b) of the constitution available for use against a future government. It is unlikely that this power to dissolve the Parliament is all that the US, and Musharraf himself are counting on for arm-twisting the next government. Two other possibilities may therefore be under consideration by our American masters. First, to transfer some of their eggs to another basket, namely a weak, but elected government which will work with a weaker than before Musharraf so that the two can dance to the US's tune with the possibility of one being used against the other if need be. The second is that before he lifts Martial Law, but after the last date for withdrawal of nomination papers (December 14), Musharraf will make sweeping amendments to the constitution giving himself huge powers and secure his place as the US's indispensable ally. If making further amendments to the constitution that give Musharraf more powers is a possibility -- and given his love of power, it certainly is -- the political parties not boycotting the elections need to rethink their decision. It must be understood that Musharraf does not need a future parliament to ratify any amendment that he has or may still make in the constitution. His Supreme Court has already given him the authority to amend the constitution without requiring that such amendments be approved by the next parliament. While it is true that the Supreme Court has laid down some parameters within which they may be made, a challenge to these amendments on the ground that they are outside those parameters will again come for decision before this, same Supreme Court. Its likely decision is anybody's guess. How then, do the parties going into elections, expect to undo these amendments or other laws (which could well include a repeal of the NRO) when by all forecasts none of them is expected to get even a simple, let alone two third majority in Parliament? Not only will those who form a coalition government be unable to undo any of Musharraf's doings, with Article 58 (2) (b) and our intelligence agencies in attendance, they will also be especially vulnerable to threats of destabilization. And where will these parties go to protest the massive rigging that they know will take place? By contesting elections --whether under protest or otherwise -- they would have accepted the entire body of the law under which elections take place. The phrase "participation under protest" is not recognized by these laws and withdrawal from elections or boycott means nothing if nomination papers have not actually been withdrawn. Also, under these laws, challenge to the validity of an election can only be brought before "election tribunals" which comprise of the existing PCO High Court judges. As it is, election cases take ages to conclude. Add to this, the fact that these courts will not be in a hurry to decide a charge of rigging against Musharraf's electoral machinery and there you have it: a sure shot delivery of justice in a decade or so. Going to the election tribunals not being an option, would these parties be able to launch agitation? Today, even though their credibility with the people is low, they are being urged -- by lawyers, by growing number of students, by journalists, and by what exists of civil society -- to boycott and start a movement which these groups will lend support to. These parties are being told that now is the time for a movement and that the protests started by these groups will soon dwindle if left on their own. While these groups are still sustaining their protests, no party has joined them on a single occasion save for a photo session at the Press Clubs. The possibility of launching a post-election agitation when these groups and a cynical populace would have become even more cynical and mistrusting of these parties because of their participation in the elections, is, very slim. One argument against boycott is that it will give the establishment a free hand to install their handpicked people in government. That is stating the obvious but it is hardly an argument. The point of boycott is not just to boycott and then sit at home waiting for someone to take notice, sympathise and come to rescue. The point of boycott is, firstly, to take away the election's legitimacy and secondly, to mobilize a movement to force the establishment into conceding that the only elections acceptable are those that are held under the dispensation that existed on November 2. This is not the Zia era of 1985. Musharraf's power today is considerably less than what Zia's was then. A few thousand lawyers thinned out over the whole of Pakistan were able to sustain a movement for over four months that eventually gave the judiciary the confidence to throw out Musharraf's reference against the Chief Justice at a time when he still ruled strong. But it appears that despite the fact that Musharraf is much weaker today and despite the ready made support that lawyers and civil society are willing to lend them, the political parties are not confident and afraid to even attempt to launch a movement. Perhaps they are only worthy of the kind of elections they are about to get. The political parties are being urged to adopt a politics of "reconciliation" by those who would like the coming farcical elections to be perceived as "legitimate". It is not entirely clear as to what this rhetoric means other than an invitation to do deals and become part of an unstable future governmental set up acceptable to the establishment. It is even more unclear as to how one reconciles with a whole scale massacre of the judiciary, arbitrary mass arrests and detentions, a media gag denying freedom of expression and information, or a dictator's tampering with the constitution. Politics that entails reconciling with all of this is just what the political parties need to adopt if they wish to lose even the last iota of the little respect and credibility they may still have in the eyes of the people. The writer is an advocate of the Supreme Court of Pakistan currently wondering whether he will continue to practice or not.

US HR activists ordered out of Pakistan

Authorities have ordered two US human rights activists out of the country after they held a vigil to protest against the detention of an opposition lawyer, one of the activists said on Wednesday. Security officials picked up the two, Medea Benjamin and Tighe Barry, in Lahore on Tuesday and held them for several hours before ordering them to leave the country and releasing them. "They are revoking our visas and instructed us to leave the country today," Benjamin, an activist from the Code Pinkanti-war group, told Reuters by telephone from Lahore. Benjamin said authorities had given no reason for deporting them: "They said in an emergency, they did not need to give a reason for their actions." "If they can do this to a US citizen who has all kind of liberties and rights, imagine what they can do to their own people," she said. "This action shows there is no democracy. There is dictatorship. They wanted to terrorise us." "In such a situation, you cannot expect a free and fair election," said Benjamin. She said she would stage protests outside the Pakistani embassy in Washington.

Shameless Fazal Rehman

JUI-F will participate in the January 8 general elections even if a consensus is developed on 'charter of demands' and Benazir Bhutto announces a boycott, party insiders told The News. "There is no option but to contest the polls irrespective of whatever is the outcome of the CoD committee," JUI-F sources quoted Maulana Fazlur Rehman as telling his party stalwarts just before an eight-member opposition body met consecutively for the second day here. These sources said the JUI-F has to move forward without focusing on the basic question of restoration of deposed jud-ges. "The restoration of the judges can be one of the demands but it cannot be a condition for taking part in the polls," a party source told The News.

PBC to continue boycott of PCO judges

The Pakistan Bar Council on Wednesday reiterated its resolve to continue a complete boycott of the PCO judges in the Supreme Court and the High Courts till the restoration of the deposed judges. It also announced holding of protest rallies across the country every Thursday within and outside the bar and court premises. The council unanimously decided that the legal fraternity would remain steadfast in its struggle against emergency and the PCO and sacking of the superior court judges. The decision was taken unanimously during a meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association, Lahore, which was presided over by Mirza Aziz Akbar Baig, vice-chairman, Pakistan Bar Council. Office-bearers of the Supreme Court Bar Association and representatives of the provincial bar councils and presidents of the high court bar associations from across the country attended the meeting. The meeting reviewed the current situation in the aftermath of the imposition of emergency and the PCO and evolved the future course of strategy regarding the lawyers' ongoing movement/protest. It was unanimously decided that the lawyers would continue complete boycott of the PCO judges in the Supreme Court and the high courts and would observe one-hour strike in the subordinate courts everyday. The meeting resolved that from now onward, the lawyers would also observe complete strike and boycott of subordinate courts every Thursday when they would also hold protest meetings and take out rallies/processions within and/or outside the bar and court premises. The meeting appealed to all the political parties, human rights organisations, professional bodies, members of the civil society and student organisations to organise rallies and processions every Thursday to protest against emergency and the PCO and to demand immediate restoration of the chief justice of Pakistan and the judges of the superior courts who had refused to take oath under the PCO. The meeting condemned the sealing and locking of the office of the Supreme Court Bar Association in the Supreme Court Registry building, Lahore, by the administration of the Supreme Court and warned that such measures would not deter lawyers from their struggle for the rule of law, the supremacy of the Constitution and restoration of the judiciary as it existed before November 3, 2007. The administration of the Supreme Court was, therefore, called upon to unlock the office of the SCBA forthwith, giving free access to office-bearers of the SCBA and advocates to the premises. The participants of the meeting condemned the government for retiring all those judges of the Supreme Court and high courts who had refused to take oath under the PCO, as well as their eviction from their official residences. They termed the the government action without any lawful authority. The meeting condemned the extension in the period of detention of Aitzaz Ahsan, President, Supreme Court Bar Association, Justice (retd) Tariq Mahmood, former president, Supreme Court Bar Association, Hadi Shakil Ahmed, President, High Court Bar Association, Quetta, Baz Muhammad Kakar, President, Balochistan Bar Association, Quetta, and imprisonment of Ali Ahmed Kurd, member, Pakistan Bar Council, and its former vice-chairman and demanded their immediate release. The meeting was attended by Qazi Muhammad Anwar, chairman, executive committee, besides members of the Pakistan Bar Council including Safirullah Khan, Ch. Muhammad Ashraf Wahlah, Sardar Muhammad Latif Khan Khosa and Muhammad Ahsan Bhoon, President, Lahore High Court Bar Association. Other members of the PBC who attended the meeting included Syed Qalb-i-Hassan, Muhammad Ramzan Chaudhry, Hamid Khan, Muhammad Kazim Khan, Asrar-ul-Haq Mian, Rasheed A. Razvi, President, Sindh High Court Bar Association, Karachi.

Oath For Candidates... Aithezaz Ahsan the Great

I, ___________________ s/o ____________________ candidate in constituency No. ______ to the ________________________ Assembly do hereby solemnly take oath and swear in this ______ day of __________, 2007(8) that in case I am elected in the forthcoming elections, I will devote all my energies, powers privileges, rights and authority, (including the privilege to move and initiate legislation/amendments/motions/resolutions and the right to vote and/or to speak) and exercise them at once from the first available opportunity after taking oath, so as to ensure that the Supreme Court and the High Courts revert completely to their status as on November 2, 2007, and that none of the judges of the Supreme Court and the high courts of the provinces are in any way impeded from performing the functions of their respective offices by any person, authority or any purported law in the shape of any PCO or any other proclamation by whatever name called and for that purpose to do all in my power and authority till such time as I am member of the Assembly.

An Unavoidable Struggle

Aithezaz Ahsan

Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan (born on September 27, 1945, Murree, Islamabad Pakistan) is a Barrister-at-Law by profession and a senior advocate at the Supreme Court of Pakistan. He is also a writer, human rights activist, politician, former Federal Minister for Law and Justice, Interior, Narcotics Control (1988-1990) and Education. Elected to the Senate of Pakistan in 1994, he eventually succeeded as the leader of the House and the leader of the Opposition between the years 1996 and 1999. Currently he is president of the Supreme Court Bar Association.
In the wake of 9 March events in Pakistan, barrister Aitzaz Ahsan has become a sign of resistance to anti-democratic moves. His eloquent speeches and his command over Pakistani law make him one of the most recognizable politicians of today. Aitzaz Ahsan is also an active member of Pakistan Peoples Party.Aitzaz Ahsan comes from a family background steeped in politics. He received his early education from Aitchison College and the Government College, Lahore. Later he studied law at Cambridge University, UK and was called to the bar at Grays’ Inn in 1967. Aitzaz
Upon his return from Cambridge, Aitzaz Ahsan appeared for and stood first in Pakistan's prestigious Central Superior Services (CSS) examination. Objecting to the rule of General Ayub Khan, however, he refused to join government service during the time of military rule. This act of youthful defiance made him the first, and perhaps only, individual to top the CSS exam yet decline government service.
Aitzaz Ahsan started his political career in the 1970s. When Chaudhry Anwar Samma, a PPP MPA from Gujrat, was murdered in March 1975, Aitzaz Ahsan was elected, un-opposed to the Punjab Assembly and inducted in the provincial cabinet. He was given the portfolio of information, planning and development.
During the PNA demonstrations against the alleged rigging of elections by the PPP government in 1977, the police opened fire on a lawyers rally in Lahore. Aitzaz, who was a provincial minister in the Punjab Cabinet at the time, resigned in protest. He was subsequently also expelled from the People's Party for this act of insubordination.
After General Zia's coup, Aitzaz became an active leader of the Movement for the Restoration of Democracy (MRD), and rejoined the Pakistan Peoples Party during the martial law period. During this period he was jailed several times as a political prisoner without trial for active participation in the MRD movement.
In 1988, Aitzaz Ahsan was elected to the National Assembly from Lahore as a a People's Party candidate. He won reelection in 1990, but lost in 1993. In 1994 he was elected to the Senate of Pakistan. He was reelected to the National Assembly as a Peoples Party candidate in the 2002 General Elections, when he won from two seats - his traditional seat in Lahore, as well as from Bhawalnagar in Southern Punjab.A senior advocate in the Supreme Court of Pakistan, Ahsan is a well respected Pakistani lawyer, consistently given the highest rank by Chambers and Partners ranking of legal professionals. He also made legal history of sorts by having defended two Prime Ministers in the court of law. Having previously fought cases in defence of Ms Bhutto in 2001 he took up a case in defence of former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
During his most recent tenure as a member of the National Assembly of Pakistan he was a member of the Standing Committee on Interior and the Standing Committee on Public Accounts.
Chief Justice case: Recently Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan successsfully represented Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry's case in the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The hearing was being conducted by a full panel of judges headed by Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, and the 13-member panel reinstated the Chief Justice declaring his suspension by Pervez Musharraf regime "illegal."
Human rights activist:He is also an indefatigable human rights activist and a founder & vice-president of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan. He has been incarcerated under arbitrary detention laws many times by military and authoritarian regimes. During one such prolonged detention, he wrote The Indus Saga.
During Emergency: Aitzaz Ahsan was arrested soon after the declaration of emergency/martial law. youtube video 1 youtube video 2/. There have also rumors that he is being kept in solitary confinement and bring tortured. Recently, 33 US Senators wrote to President Musharraf to release Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan immediately, as he is widely respected all around the world.
Literary Contribution:Possessing a literary penchant, he has also authored the book “The Indus Saga and the Making of Pakistan” and its Urdu translation, “Sindh Sagar Aur Qyam-e-Pakistan” which presents the cultural history of Pakistan. [3]
He has also co-authored the book "Divided by Democracy" with Lord Meghnad Desai of the London School of Economics.

Notification issued for retirement of defiant judges

The Federal ministry of Law has issued the notification for retirement of 24 High Court judges who did not take oath under the Provisional Constitutional Order (PCO).Those judges who stand retired as per the notification included 12 judges of Sindh High Court (SHC), 10 judges of the Lahore High Court (LHC) and two judges of Peshawar High Court (PHC). Sindh High Court’s Justice Ahmed Hussain Jaffery, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, Justice Amir Hani Muslim, Justice Gulzar Ahmed, Justice Maqbool Baqar, Justice Muhammad Athar Saeed, Justice Faisal Arab, Justice Sajjad Ali Shah, Justice Zafar Khan Sherwani, Justice Salman Ansari, Justice Abdul Rasheed Kalhwar, and Justice Arshad Siraj, while Lahore High Court’s Justice Khwaja Muhammad Sharif, Justice Saqib Nisar, Justice Asif Khosa, Justice Muhammad Tahir Ali, Justice Ijaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Justice M.A. Shahid Siddiqui, Justice Muhammad Jahangir Arshad, Justice Iqbal Hameed-ur-Rehman, Justice Muhammad Ata Bandial and Justice Shaikh Azmat Saeed have been retired, said the notification. Two judges from Peshawar High Court Justice Ejaz Afzal Khan and Justice Dost Muhammad were also included in the list of retired judges.

Mardan police ‘protecting’ army

The Frontier police have been deployed at the entry and exit gates of the Punjab Regiment Centre in Mardan to protect army personnel, as a military operation against militants is underway in Swat, Daily Times learnt on Monday.“Police have been deployed at the Punjab Regiment Centre’s gates to avoid any terrorist activity,” a police guard told Daily Times on condition of anonymity. “We have been here since last week to protect the military,” he added.The removal of army personnel and the deployment of police at the military centre have raised fears among the people of Mardan about any potential terrorist activity.“The police deployment at the military centre is of concern for everyone. I have never seen police guarding the army — the defenders of the country. Police are supposed to curb crimes and protect people, but they are guarding the army,” Muhammad Saeed, nazim of the Shamuzai union council, Mardan, said..On November 23, a bomb explosion at a CDs market near the Punjab Regimental Centre destroyed six shops, but no casualties were reported.The army had already closed all roads used by the military and private vehicles passing through the centre following the Dargai suicide blast that killed 42 army recruits and injured several others on November 9, 2006. Earlier, light vehicles and pedestrians had been allowed to travel through the regiment centre, as it was a shortcut to several areas of the city.The army has not only banned the entry of civilians to military mosques at the centre, but it has also restrained army personnel’s visitors from visiting various military centres in the province.The Pakistan Army is currently undertaking a major operation in Swat against militants led by rebel cleric Maulana Fazlullah, who had been advocating jihad through his pirate FM radio station until it was recently shut down.

After America, Saudi Arabia now Turkey Too.?

Turkish President Abdullah Gul on Monday asked Pakistan’s leading political parties to show unity and focus on the country’s future.Speaking at a joint press conference with President Pervez Musharraf at Aiwan-e-Sadr, Gul said, “They (political parties) should look at the big picture and behave constructively. It is good for Pakistan.”“Pakistan is passing through a critical time... therefore, from this kind of critical period, all the leading teams should focus on the future of Pakistan,” added the Turkish president, who is the first international leader to visit Pakistan after proclamation of emergency on November 3.Domestic realities: Gul said democracy was not an isolated phenomenon and was linked with the domestic realties of a country. “Democracy is essential for sustainability of states, but at the same time, realities of a country should be taken into consideration,” he said. He urged the international community to recognise Pakistan’s role in the fight against terrorism and adopt a “constructive approach” towards it. He said Pakistan and Turkey, along with Afghanistan, were part of the trilateral peace jirga that sought to enhance cooperation in fighting extremism.Meeting good: Addressing the press conference, President Musharraf said Gul’s engagement with various party heads was a “good move”. “I know it is going to be positive and in the interest of Pakistan. When the president (Gul) meets these political leaders, they have to keep Pakistan’s interest foremost. My slogan is Pakistan comes first. My brother (Gul) is going to speak for Pakistan because his interest is in Pakistan and not in any individual or political party,” he said. Musharraf said people should look at the situation in the larger framework and national interests should govern political and personal issues.He said his meeting with Gul had covered a wide range of bilateral matters, including regional and international issues, war against terrorism and cooperation in defence production, economic and political relations. Musharraf said they discussed the restructuring of the Organisation of Islamic Conference, the importance of Pakistan’s location as a trade and energy corridor and the US-Iran nuclear standoff.Gul agreed with the president’s statements and said they had exchanged views on important issues including peace and security in the region. He said Turkey was a member of the OIC Kashmir Contact Group that was striving to find a solution to the dispute on the basis of international legitimacy. The Turkish president also said that he considers Pakistan as his second home, reported Online.Later, the Turkish president met with Caretaker Prime Minister Mohammadmian Soomro. Gul also visited the National Monument and laid a wreath there. He also planted a sapling at Shakarprian.Speaking at President Gul’s farewell banquet at the Aiwan-e-Sadr on Monday evening, President Musharraf called upon the world to show understanding of the gravity of challenges faced by the country and the steps taken by the government to avert instability, reported APP. He expressed the hope that the Turkish president’s visit would boost bilateral ties.Abdullah Gul, on the occasion, said Pakistan and Turkey’s friendship was unique in how it had stood the test of time. “Turkey and Pakistan have always stood together in confronting major challenges,” he said. He also appreciated President Musharraf’s idea of enlightened moderation.The Turkish president left on Monday evening after his two-day state visit. He was presented with a photo album of the two days he spent in the federal capital as a memento.

US ambassador denied meeting with Aitzaz

US Ambassador to Pakistan Anne W Peterson was not allowed to meet detained Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) President Aitzaz Ahsan at his residence on Monday. Talking to the media after her meeting with Mrs Aitzaz, she said she tried to get special permission to meet Aitzaz but it was not granted. She added she would try again to get permission in this regard. Later, Mrs Aitzaz giving details of her meeting with Peterson said that the ambassador expressed concerns over ongoing political unrest in Pakistan. "America is not appreciating these ongoing arrests and suspension of judges and Constitution," she quoted the US envoy. How free and fair elections could be held when political figures are under arrest, she said while quoting Peterson. Bushra further told the media that the US ambassador also condemned Musharraf for assuring the US that all detainees have been freed.

Benazir, Nawaz to boycott polls if demands not met

In a major development, the Alliance for Restoration of Democracy and the All Pakistan Democratic Movement on Monday night decided to give the government a ‘Charter of Demands’ to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in the country.“We have decided to present the Charter of Demands to the government. If the government accepts our demands, all opposition parties will participate in the elections, otherwise they will resort to boycott,” said former prime ministers Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif while addressing a joint press conference at the Zardari House here following a marathon meeting of the two alliances that lasted about three and half an hours.Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Raja Zafarul Haq, Mehmood Khan Achackzai, Liaquat Baloch and Hasil Khan Bizenjo were also present at the press conference. Earlier, Nawaz Sharif along with the APDM leaders arrived at the Zardari House and held the meeting with Benazir Bhutto to convince her to join the APDM decision to boycott the elections.At the press conference, Mian Nawaz Sharif announced that an 8-member committee would be constituted comprising Mian Raza Rabbani, Dr Safdar Abbassi, Naveed Malik, Abdul Qadeer Khamosh from the ARD and Senator Ishaq Dar, Ahsan Iqbal, Abdul Rahim Mandokhel and Professor Khursheed Ahmed from the APDM.“The committee has been tasked to start work from Tuesday morning and complete the Charter of Demands within two to three days so that it can be presented before the government,” Nawaz said.Benazir Bhutto said the ARD and the APDM discussed many points and agreed that the elections could not be free, fair and transparent under the present circumstances. She said Hasil Khan Bizenjo told the meeting that how in Balochistan pre-poll rigging has started as a few months back the government has taken the names from the ruling party for the appointment of returning officers of their choice in their constituencies.Replying to a question, Benazir said they did not want postponement of the polls. She rather stressed that the elections should be held on January 8. She said the Charter of Demands is being presented to the government to ensure that free, fair and transparent elections are held.Nawaz Sharif said the opposition did not want to boycott the elections but if the Charter of Demands was not accepted by the government, they would be forced to stay away from the polls. He said; “The rejection of my nomination papers exposed the ‘fairness’ of the elections.” He, however, added that he never gives precedence to personal matters over the national cause. Benazir said the government has accepted many of their demands such as fixing elections for January 8, announcing the date of lifting of emergency, and retirement of General Musharraf as chief of the Army staff. However, several issues remain unresolved as the (deposed) chief justice and other justices are still under arrest, Aitzaz Ahsan’s detention is extended, curbs on the media are still there and one of the biggest TV channels, Geo, is still not allowed to go on the air in the country. “These remaining issues are the reason that we have decided to forward the Charter of Demands to the government,” she added. When asked whether both the big parties would unite in the post-election scenario, Benazir said both the parties met for a joint step towards road to democracy and continue to take joint steps for the revival of democracy. “It was a major confidence-building measure between the two parties that will continue in future,” she added. She said if the elections were rigged, the people of Pakistan have the power to bring about an Orange Revolution like in Ukraine.Benazir said she told the APDM that if the opposition parties did not take part in the elections, the government would not need to rig the polls. She said to expose the government’s rigging plan they have to participate in the elections. The APDM, she said, briefed her on its apprehensions about the elections. Nawaz said they discussed post-November 3 developments. He said his party believed that the elections under the present government could not be free and fair.He said during the meeting, the PPP chief and he discussed the ins and outs of Charter of Demands which would be presented to the government. He said the government would be given a certain deadline to accept their demands.Nawaz said, “If the government fails to accede to our demands, we will be forced to think that the upcoming elections cannot be free and transparent and thus opt for boycott of the polls.” Both the former prime ministers opined that Pakistan’s nuclear assets are safer during democracy rather than dictatorship.

Should I not Doubt Fazal?

Secretary-General Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman agreed to show some flexibility in his stance on contesting the January elections.Following a late Monday night meeting with Nawaz Sharif, he told reporters here, “Before this meeting, my party was not part of the consultations to reach a consensus on the elections boycott but now we will wait for the Charter of Demands for which a committee has been constituted.” After a lengthy meeting with Benazir Bhutto, Nawaz Sharif reached the residence of Senator Talha at around 1 am to meet ex-opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The Maulana maintained that the opposition parties should not go ahead with their plans to boycott the elections if the decision could harm these parties. “Our stance was that we can play a better role while remaining in parliament,” he said.He said the opposition parties should see that they do not suffer as they did after the 1985 elections. He pointed out that the main objective should be the restoration of the democratic process. To a question, he said his demand also included an independent judiciary and restoration of the judges.Nawaz Sharif told newsmen that he apprised Maulana Fazlur Rehman that elections could not be fair unless the judiciary was restored to pre-November 3 status. “We also apprised him that a Charter of Demands will be presented to him shortly,” he said.The former prime minister said he also told the Maulana that the government planned a mechanism for massive rigging during elections including transfer of officers and casting bogus votes to benefit the Pakistan Muslim League-Q.

What Else We Can Expect From U...(A Real Agent)

Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Secretary General Maulana Fazlur Rehman on Saturday refused to support the reinstatement of deposed judges of the Supreme Court and high courts including sacked chief justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.Speaking at a ceremony hosted by the South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA), Fazl said that he supported the independence of judiciary, but would not favour reinstatement of the deposed CJP and other judges, who had taken oath under a PCO in 1999. Fazl’s remarks created uproar in the hall, with a large number of participants shouting “Shame! Shame!”Replying to an angry participant’s comments that he wanted to become a deputy prime minister, Fazl said, “I want to become the prime minister. What do you mean by deputy prime minister?”

Bush handed blueprint to seize Pakistan’s nukes

The man who devised the Bush administration’s Iraq troop surge has urged the US to consider sending elite troops to Pakistan to seize its nuclear weapons if the country descends into chaos, The Guardian reported on Saturday. “In a series of scenarios drawn up for Pakistan, Frederick Kagan, a former West Point military historian, has called for the White House to consider various options for an unstable Pakistan. “These include: sending elite British or US troops to secure nuclear weapons capable of being transported out of the country and take them to a secret storage depot in New Mexico or a remote redoubt inside Pakistan; sending US troops to Pakistan’s north-western border to fight the Taliban and Al Qaeda; and a US military occupation of the capital Islamabad, and the provinces of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan if asked for assistance by a fractured Pakistan military, so that the US could shore up President Pervez Musharraf and General Ashfaq Kayani, who became army chief this week,” the paper said. “These are scenarios and solutions. They are designed to test our preparedness. The United States simply could not stand by as a nuclear-armed Pakistan descended into the abyss,” Kagan, who is with the American Enterprise Institute, a thinktank with strong ideological ties to the Bush administration, told the Guardian. “We need to think now about our options in Pakistan,” he said. The paper reported Kagan as arguing that the rise of Sunni extremism in Pakistan, coupled with the proliferation of Al Qaeda bases in the north-west, posed a real possibility of terrorists staging a coup that would give them access to a nuclear device. Kagan, the Guardian said, accepted that the Pakistani military was not in the grip of Islamists. daily times monitor