PTI deny Imran Khan meeting with Munter, DG ISI

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf categorically rejected the news report about a meeting in which Imran Khan met with US Ambassador Cameron Munter in the presence of ISI Chief General Shuja Pasha.

According to PTI Secretary General Dr. Arif Alvi, the news item was totally fabricated, false and appears to be an attempt to provide support to the false propaganda unleashed by the PML-N and its coterie that PTI has backing from the military establishment.

Military Spokesman Maj General Ather Abbas also rejected the news regarding the meeting.

“The allegation is an attempt to divert the attention of the people from the fast-declining popularity of PML-N because of the failure of its government in Punjab and its anti-people policies that it practiced during its two tenures in the federal capital,” said Alvi.

“Its failed rallies in Lahore and Faisalabad had driven it to desperation and it is venting its venom on PTI,” he said.

He reiterated that such attempts would not dent PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s growing popularity and the flocking of people to his party and programme which is meant to bring about a change in policies of the status quo and align them with the needs and aspirations of the people of Pakistan.

He said that the PTI will send a strong letter to the Sunday Times to retract the article otherwise they will claim damages in a court of law.

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Fourteen Pakistani troops killed in rebel ambush: military

QUETTA: Fourteen Pakistani soldiers were killed on Monday in an ambush blamed on separatist rebels in the country’s southwestern Balochistan province, the Frontier Corps paramilitary force said.

It was one of the deadliest attacks on Pakistani troops and marked the highest number of military dead in a single incident since March when friendly fire killed 13 soldiers on the northwestern border with Afghanistan.

Up to four dozen rebels struck before dawn in the Musa Khel district, 400 kilometres (250 miles) southeast of the provincial capital Quetta in one of the most troubled and deprived parts of Pakistan, bordering Afghanistan and Iran.

The military said the troops were guarding a private coal mine and blamed the attack on Baloch rebels, who rose up in 2004 to demand political autonomy and a greater share of profits from the province’s wealth of natural resources.

“Fourteen paramilitary personnel, including a major, were killed and several others were wounded. Baloch militants were involved,” the spokesman told AFP.

Security officials said the rebels were armed with automatic weapons and that most of the soldiers died from gunshot wounds in the remote area.

The wilds of Balochistan, virtually a no-go area for journalists, is deeply troubled not only by local insurgency, but militancy and a rising number of sectarian attacks on minority Shia Muslims.

The province straddles a key Nato supply route into neighbouring Afghanistan and on Sunday gunmen torched three trucks carrying supplies to US-led troops.

The federal government, elected in February 2008, has struggled to implement reforms and inject more money in order to appease Baloch nationalists.

Security officials said Musa Khel, which is dominated by ethnic Pashtuns and borders the Baloch-dominated district of Kohlu, had seen several private coal mines closed due to local tribal disputes.

Troops intervened to resolve those disputes. The coal mines were inaugurated by army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani in August and work began with the military providing protection, the officials said.

But Baloch separatist rebels oppose the military presence and there have been a string of attacks on troops in the area.

The scene of Monday’s attack was not far from Sui town, where two other soldiers were killed in a bombing on Saturday.

Last month, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani said the government planned to create 20,000 jobs in Balochistan, admitting that past neglect of the region had fuelled its troubles.

He announced a six percent employment quota in some federal government departments and the introduction of 3,000 jobs in tribal police for Balochistan residents.

But previous attempts at regional reform have failed to raise the sparsely populated area from poverty and conflict.

In November 2009, the government announced a package of reforms, including an increase in the provincial budget as well as constitutional, administrative, political and economic reforms in a bid to grant Balochistan more independence.

But there is dispute over how much of the deal ever came to fruition.

Hundreds of people have died since Baloch insurgents rose up in 2004 demanding autonomy and a greater share of the profits from natural resources in the mineral-rich province.

Disappearances and the discovery of bullet-riddled and tortured bodies in the province that the families of victims blame on security and intelligence forces have led human rights activists to call for investigations into the killings.

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Pakistan defers ‘obscene’ text message ban deadline

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s mobile operators on Monday deferred implementing a ban on nearly 1,700 “obscene” words from text messages, saying they were seeking further clarification from the telecoms authority.

The list, including words from “quickie” to “fairy” to “Jesus Christ” and obtained by AFP, was distributed on November 14 with operators given seven days to comply, but has met with widespread derision and a threat of legal action.

Although the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has previously blocked websites deemed pornographic or offensive to Islam, it is the first time the country has sought to censor text messages.

“Obviously there are concerns and we have some reservations,” said Omar Manzur, spokesman for Mobilink, the country’s leading telecoms operator.

“This regulation will be implemented only after mutual agreement between the PTA and us. We should wait until the end of this discussion,” Manzur told AFP.

An official at one telecoms firm told AFP that filtering the system could degrade the quality of network services and greatly inconvenience subscribers if text messages were not delivered due to the wrong choice of words.

A spokesman for rival company Telenor said he was “not in a position to say when this (ban) will be implemented”.

“If this is a regulation and a law then we have to implement it but so far we are in discussions,” Sohaib Mustafa, the Telenor spokesman, told AFP.

In addition to more conventional obscenities, other words and phrases on the list of 1,695 terms, issued in English and Urdu, include “monkey crotch”, “athlete’s foot”, “idiot” and “damn”, as well as “deeper”, “four twenty”, “go to hell”, “harder”, “looser” and “no sex”.

The PTA denied that Monday marked any formal deadline on the ban as messages containing the words were still transmitted.

“There were two weekly holidays on 19 and 20 November (the Saturday-Sunday weekend) and there are still two days left to complete this seven-day period,”Mohammad Younis Khan told AFP.

He acknowledged the “reservations” of telecoms companies and said the PTA was “ready to sort that out through mutual discussions”.

The letter accompanying the list of banned words said the move was legal under the Pakistan Telecommunication Act of 1996 which prohibits people from transmitting messages that are “false, fabricated, indecent or obscene”.

But campaign group Bytes for All has said it will challenge the order in court, saying “a new, ruthless wave of moral policing” violated rights to free speech and privacy, and made a mockery of the entire country.

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Taliban, Pakistan said to have started peace talks: Taliban commander

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s Taliban movement, a major security threat to the country, is holding exploratory peace talks with the US-backed government, a senior Taliban commander and mediators told Reuters on Monday.

The United States, the source of billions of dollars of aid vital for Pakistan’s military and feeble economy, is unlikely to look kindly on peace talks with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it has labeled a terrorist group.

Past peace pacts with the TTP have failed to bring stability, and merely gave the umbrella group time and space to consolidate, launch fresh attacks and impose their austere version of Islam on segments of the population.

The discussions are focused on the South Waziristan region on the Afghan border and could be expanded to try to reach a comprehensive deal.

The Taliban, who are close to al-Qaeda, made several demands, including the release of prisoners, said the commander.

An ethnic Pashtun tribal mediator described the talks as “very difficult.”

“Yes, we have been holding talks, but this is just an initial phase. We will see if there is a breakthrough,” said the senior Taliban commander, who asked not to be identified.

“Right now, this is at the South Waziristan level. If successful, we can talk about a deal for all the tribal areas,” he said, referring to Pashtun lands along the Afghan border.

The TTP, which is allied with the Afghan Taliban movement fighting US-led Nato forces in Afghanistan, is entrenched in the unruly areas along the porous border.

Pakistan has come under pressure to eradicate militancy since US special forces in May killed Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani town, where he had apparently been living for years.

Pakistan’s government and military have said they had no idea bin Laden was in Pakistan and have yet to explain the intelligence gap.

The operation enraged Pakistan’s military, which branded it a violation of sovereignty and then reduced cooperation on intelligence critical for US efforts to stabilize the region as it winds down combat operations in Afghanistan.

“The US won’t be happy,” said Rahimullah Yusufzai, a Pakistani expert on the Taliban. “If there is less pressure from Pakistan on the militants then they (the Pakistani Taliban) will turn their attention to Afghanistan.”

Speculation on peace talks has been rife since the government said in a September all-party conference on a crisis in relations with the United States that it would attempt negotiations with militants to bring peace.

“We never wanted to fight to begin with,” said the senior Taliban commander. “Our aim was to rid Afghanistan of foreign forces. But the Pakistani government, by supporting America, left us no choice but to fight.”

Since bin Laden’s death, the TTP has vowed to attack Western targets abroad.

Pakistani military and government officials were not immediately available for comment.

“This is a very difficult stage. We have had three rounds in the last two months, but there seems to be no result,” said one of the tribal elders involved in the talks.

“It is too difficult to say if there will be a breakthrough, but we are moving in the right direction.”

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Nawaz issues ultimatum on memo probe

FAISALABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-N chief Nawaz Sharif has accused President Asif Ali Zardari of endangering the country’s sovereignty.

Addressing a large public meeting held at the Dhobi Ghat here on Sunday, he alleged that a letter purportedly sent to former US military chief Mike Mullen through Ambassador Husain Haqqani sought to put Pakisan Army under American control.

Mr Sharif warned that if the federal government failed to launch an investigation into the scandal in a couple of days and fix the responsibility within nine days, he himself and PML-N’s Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, Azad Kashmir, Sindh, Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapters would approach the Supreme Court with a request to take up the matter.

He said President Zardari had applauded the covert US operation in Abbottabad in his articles published in Washington Post and New York Times and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani termed it a great victory.

“The country cannot be run in the manner adopted by the current rulers, including bargaining on national sovereignty and people’s self-respect.”

The former prime minister said his party would not sit in assemblies whose decisions were being ignored and violated.

The PML-N chief dispelled a perception that his party was hand in glove with the people in authority. Had there been such an alliance, there would have been no need for a long march for reinstatement of the judges, he said. He asked why was governor’s rule imposed in Punjab if he had an understanding with the federal government.

Mr Sharif said he had been utterly disappointed by the rulers and it was the defining moment when people should be ready to bring about a change.He said that after coming to power, his party would work for a bright future for the youth, create jobs and empower labourers.

He accused the federal government of not cooperating with Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif in his efforts to develop the province. He said the chief minister had tirelessly served the masses and overcome the menace of dengue virus.

The Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, rejected allegations that government employees had been brought to the meeting.

He challenged the president to hold a public meeting at the same venue in Faisalabad.

Chaudhry Nisar said Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf chief Imran Khan could not become a leader by addressing one public meeting. Criticising Imran Khan’s claim that he would take two wickets with one ball, he said he could do so only “with the help of umpires”.

He said the assets of PML-N’s leaders were before the people to see and Mr Khan could request the Supreme Court to set up a special bench to look into the matter. “We have no dispute with the army but we are against those who use the army. The ISI uses political parties and national funds for forming governments,” he alleged.

PML-N leader Javed Hashmi said Pakistan was still in the grip of dictatorship and “we will keep fighting this menace”.

He said people valued democracy, justice and self-respect.

Mr Hashmi said the country had been plundered by leaders and not by the common people.

A large number of people came to attend the public meeting in processions from different parts of the district.

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Haqqani, Ijaz keep up their internet war

WASHINGTON: Ambassador Husain Haqqani, a compulsive communicator, has been sending updates on his Twitter since arriving in Islamabad to explain to the country`s top civilian and military leaders his role in the so-called memogate scandal.

His accuser, Mansoor Ijaz, has not been silent either. He too has been appearing on TV shows, sending email messages and talking to journalists, telling them how he was interviewed by DG ISI Lt-Gen Shuja Pasha two days after he had written his now much-publicised article in the Financial Times.

In that article, which appeared on Oct 20, Mr Ijaz alleged receiving a message from President Asif Ali Zardari, through Amb Haqqani, seeking US support for reining in the Pakistani military.

In his last Twitter message sent at 6:45 P.M. on Sunday, Mr Haqqani quoted Faiz`s couplet which translated into English says: “All I did in madness was useful, although it caused great pains to my heart.”

In an earlier message, he quotes a verse from a Ghazal by Iftikhar Arif saying: “In our love for this land, we the defiant had to pay the debts that we never owed.”

“Is it true that Husain Haqqani wrote an article in 2000 asking Lashkar-e-Taiba to attack Bangalore IT Sector?” asked a Twitter follower.

“I only asked what might be the consequences if they did,” Mr Haqqani responded, with a smiling face attached to the response.

When one of his admirers wrote: “I hope one day a general has to cry on TV and mention deceased relatives in civilian burial grounds as proof of his patriotism,” Mr Haqqani liked this message and forwarded it to those following him on the Twitter. A day before he left Washington, Mr Haqqani broke down during a TV interview and said that his relatives had defended Pakistan and were buried in military graveyards.

One admirer wrote that he did not believe the allegations against Mr Haqqani, and finished his message with a prayer: “May God help you.”

“All support and prayers for you — you`re our pride!” wrote a third admirer.

Mr Haqqani`s responses clearly showed his unhappiness with being called to Islamabad to explain his position.

In a number of messages, he urges his admirers to watch the TV shows that had interviewed him to know his views.

“Memo from Mansoor Ijaz that he claims (& I deny) came from me,” he wrote.

“Do you think (the media) verified authenticity of BBM transcripts with their usual zeal for accuracy?” he asked in another message. “How can anyone prove that they are real?”

Mr Haqqani thanks another admirer who wrote an email to an American journalist who had questioned the memo`s authenticity. “Thank you. You raised some good points,” he wrote.

“Already contradicted. IT never contacted me or any one I know. Raises Qs abt their credibility,” he wrote about the BBM messages Mr Ijaz had released.

In another message, he thanks an American journalist for describing him as a “patriot without honour in his country”.

In one message, he rejects the rumours surrounding his return to Pakistan as “nonsense of the kind that float around” in such situations in the Pakistani media. “I do not fear arrest & will go home,” he adds.

Meanwhile, Mr Ijaz has confirmed meeting the ISI chief on Oct 22 and giving him transcripts of his communications with Mr Haqqani.

“It is time for Pakistan`s people to learn the whole truth about the leaders they have chosen,” he wrote in a message sent to the media.

“Should the formal inquiry ask me to appear and give evidence, I am prepared to travel to Pakistan and in an appropriately secured environment and give the evidence in my possession, allow forensic examination of my records and ensure that the truth which I hold is aired in the fullest manner possible,” he wrote.

“I am prepared to face Amb Haqqani, to debate him, to challenge him on his recollection of the facts and to make absolutely sure that neither he nor his superiors are able to distort a truth that was of their own conception.”

In the same message, Mr Ijaz praises Mr Haqqani`s services for Pakistan, saying: “The ambassador has served his country ably and should be proud of his record in helping American lawmakers and officials understand one of the world`s most complex political, military and religious environments.”

But his achievements did not give the envoy “licence to distort the truth in a matter as grave as this. Amb Haqqani has been a champion of that democracy, and it is now time for the transparency to which he has subscribed in public so often to demonstrate itself — the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth,” he concludes.

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Mirza keeps PPP on its toes

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Zardari talked about Dr Zulfikar Mirza in some detail for the first time during a recent meeting of his party’s core committee and sought suggestions from its members on ways to deal with him, according to sources.

A majority of the members said the party’s basic membership of Dr Mirza should be cancelled to avoid further embarrassment. 

However, some of them suggested that his statements be ignored.

The PPP core committee took up the issue on Friday.

Currently, the former home minister of Sindh is continuing his anti-MQM campaign in London.

Talking to APNA, a PPP MNA said that National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza was the main reason for the party co-chairman to go soft on the issue so far.

“Shunting him out from the party will put the madam speaker in a tight corner, leaving her with no option to side either with the PPP or with her husband,” he argued.

The speaker has never spoken a word on the subject.

Despite repeated attempts, PPP Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira could not be contacted for his comments.

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PPP leaders urge Gilani to scrap rental power policy

ISLAMABAD: Four leaders of Pakistan People`s Party have written a letter to Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and called for the scrapping of the government`s rental power policy.

They have also urged him to take action against former water and power minister Raja Pervez Ashraf and other persons whose conduct is being scrutinised by the Supreme Court through a suo motu case.

“We as candidates of Pakistan People`s Party urge you to abolish the rental power policy, cancel all corruption-infested agreements with rental companies and take strong action against Raja Pervez Ashraf and all secretaries and Pepco officials who have played havoc with the party and the people of Pakistan,” said the letter signed by Haider Ali Khan, member of PPP Punjab Council and son of former PPP information minister Khalid Kharal, Chaudhry Khizar Abbas, Rao Iqbal Ahmed Khan and Rana Iftikhar Khan.

“We have suggested to the prime minister to take action against irregularities in rental power schemes otherwise it will be taken by the Supreme Court and the credit will go to the court,” Haider Khan told APNA.

“We believe that a few people in the government are working for their own interests, instead of the party, and they must be thrown out,” Mr Khan said.

He said there was strong resentment among party leaders and workers over some controversial decisions taken by the government.

“I took 62,000 votes in the last election and my voters ask me about faulty decisions and policies of the PPP government,” he said.

The letter said: “The Supreme Court on various occasions has pointed out that the rental power policy is a failed policy of the Musharraf government and our party which came into power as per the aspirations of the millions of Pakistanis has no reason to continue with such a failed policy which will push us into further darkness.

It has been pointed out in the Supreme Court that the people are forced to buy electricity at an exorbitant rate of Rs52 per unit from one such rental power plant.”

“We believe as the torch-bearers of the PPP in our constituencies that it is increasingly becoming difficult for us to approach and face our constituents in the coming general elections because of such irrational polices which directly affect the common citizen of Pakistan,” the PPP leaders said.

They said the party workers asked them that why the whole party and country should suffer because of the greed and lust for money of a few individuals.

They said: “We are here to deliver good governance and make a difference in the lives of our countrymen. Most of our policies are directed at providing relief to the poor people of Pakistan. We believe that by taking such actions we will redeem ourselves in the eyes of the people and will be able to deliver a good message to the general public”.

The PPP leaders said that their voters particularly questioned the wisdom behind the continuation of such policies which were started during the rule of Gen Musharraf.

The policy of rental power was one such example for which the party has to face a lot of criticism.

“It is the duty of a political worker and a public representative to point out the wrongs being done and protect the people of the country from extortionists and black sheep.

It is important that people should have faith in their representatives that they would stand by them when the forces of loot and plunder are out to suck their blood in the name of these schemes,” the letter said.

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Rights commission bill to be tabled in National Assembly

ISLAMABAD: More than three years after the approval by the cabinet, a bill to set up an independent and powerful human rights commission will finally be tabled in the National Assembly on Monday.

The government will also introduce in the house the much-awaited bill to determine the term, salary and allowances of the newly-appointed members of the Election Commission of Pakistan.

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Moula Bakhsh Chandio will present the Members, Election Commission (Oath of office, term, salary, allowances, perks and privileges) Bill, 2011, and Adviser to the Prime Minister on Human Rights Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar will table in the house the National Commission for Human Rights Bill, 2011. The bill seeking to set up the human rights commission was approved by the cabinet in October 2008. The National Assembly`s Standing Committee on Human Rights had approved the draft bill with major amendments in August last year.

The original draft had proposed that the commission would only be headed by a serving or retired judge of the Supreme Court or high court but the committee has amended the draft making it possible for any person having vast experience in the field of human rights to become its chairperson.

The proposed commission will comprise 11 members – one each from the provinces, two representing minorities and one each from Islamabad, Fata and Gilgit-Baltistan and the secretary of the human rights division will be its ex-officio member. The chairperson and members would be appointed by the president on the recommendation of the prime minister for a period of four years.

After establishment of the commission, every citizen will have a right to register a complaint in case of human rights violations against any individual or institution. The commission, while inquiring into complaints, will have the powers of a civil court and can summon any individual, public or private department.

The proposed commission will also have the powers to take suo motu notice of any incident and may seek assistance of any agency, police officer or any other official, organisation of the government. The commission will also have the powers to “intervene in any proceeding involving any allegation of violation of human rights pending before a court”.

Moreover, its members will be authorised to visit any jail or detention centres to examine living conditions of the inmates.

The commission shall send a copy of its inquiry report together with its recommendations to the government or the authority which shall, within a period of one month, or such further time as the commission may allow, forward its comments on the report, including the action taken.

The commission will also be required to submit an annual report to the federal government which will then be bound to lay it before parliament.

The commission will have complete administrative and financial autonomy and its accounts will be audited by the auditor general of Pakistan.

“The Statement of Object and Reasons” attached to the bill states: “In pursuance of UN General Assembly Resolution No. 48/134 of December 20, 1993, and such other relevant resolutions of the UN Commission on Human Rights, the UN member states are under obligation to establish independent national human rights institutions which is considered as a singular criterion to judge a state`s commitment towards the protection and promotion of human rights.

“Presently, the national human rights commissions are functioning in 54 countries of the world out of which 13 are Asian countries, including India.

“The formation of NCHR would not only fulfil the international obligation of establishment of such a Commission, it shall also serve as driving force for negating the propaganda of human rights violations in Pakistan.”

ECP MEMBERS` BILL: The government is bringing the Members Election Commission Bill to determine the term and salaries of the ECP members only after a strong criticism from the PML-N.

Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan has criticised the government for not doing legislation that had become necessary after the passage of the 18th Amendment.

The PML-N leader said that he had suggested to the prime minister to promulgate an ordinance to end uncertainty among the ECP members who, according to him, had been working for the past many months without salary.

Four ECP members, one each from the four provinces, were appointed in June this year, by the prime minister after consultation with the opposition leader and with the approval of the parliamentary committee concerned in the light of the 18th Amendment, under which, only the retired judges of the superior courts could become the members, instead of the serving high court judges as prescribed in the Constitution previously.

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Babar calls it ‘civil war’ threat

ISLAMABAD: Speaking immediately after PML-N leader Mian Nawaz Sharif’s address at a public meeting in Faisalabad on Sunday, PPP leader Babar Awan said he smelled a threat of civil war in the language used by the former prime minister when he expressed his intention of ‘reaching Islamabad’.

Senator Awan said the people from Punjab were always welcome in Islamabad but they should not forget that people from Sindh and other areas could also reach Lahore.

He advised Mr Sharif to refrain from threatening democratic forces.

He alleged that Mr Sharif had used the tone for military dictator Ziaul Haq against PPP’s founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his speech was tantamount to putting on trial the graves of the late PPP leaders.

Mr Awan alleged that the PML-N was trying to drag the judiciary into politics and said the opposition party should avoid playing hide and seek.

He said accountability should be started from the cases of yellow cab, Ashiana Housing and ‘susta tandoor’ schemes.

The PML-N leader should offer an explanation to the people about billions of rupees collected under the ‘Qarz utaro, mulk sanwaro scheme’ and by freezing foreign currency accounts.

He said Punjab ranked number one in organised crime, but PML-N leaders insisted on setting up inquiry commissions even on minor incidents in other areas.

He said the PML-N leaders were falsely claiming the credit for the country’s nuclear programme founded by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

Mr Awan accused the PML-N of using the government machinery for its meeting and alleged that a large number of officials of the revenue, irrigation and health departments and sanitary workers were among the people at the meeting.

He said the Senate polls would be held in mid-March next year and the PPP would hold general elections in March 2013.

Mr Awan said there was no chance of mid-term elections because their time had passed and those eager to resign from the assemblies should go ahead as the Election Commission would hold by-polls for the vacated seats in accordance with the Constitution.

He also criticised PML-N leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan without naming him and said those who were hiding ‘under the bed’ during the dictatorship when their leader was forced to leave the country were now attacking the democratic government.

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