Gilani rebuffs Kayani, Pasha removal rumours

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday rebuffed the speculation that the government was planning to sack Army Chief Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and DG ISI Gen. Shuja Pasha, FTNews reported.

The reports about army chief and DG ISI were the latest in what has been feverish press speculation about a rift between civilian politicians and the military.

“As far as the rumours that the government wants to remove the DG-ISI and General Kayani, this impression is simply a fools’ talk,” Gilani told reporters in comments broadcast on television.

“It is wrong to spread such talk. If this was the case, I wouldn’t have given them extensions…. I am happy with his (army chief’s) work and I want to dispel this impression.”

The government last year extended Kayani’s term of office to 2013, while Pasha’s term was extended to March 2012.

The prime mininster was briefing the representatives of electronic media at the Prime Minister House in Islamabad.

Rejecting the speculations in media circles, the prime minister said that he was satisfied with the performances of both military leaders.

“Generals are not sacked in a state of war,” said the prime minster.

He said the rumours were spread by few ‘opportunists’ who were seeking their own political goals.

He clarified that he pointed towards Defence Secretary Khalid Naeem Lodhi and not army chief or DG ISI during his speech in National Assembly when he talked about “state within state.”

“There is no clash between government and military,” he added.

Gilani reiterated that the parliament will complete its constitutional term regardless of him being the prime minster.

He suggested that the opponents must adopt a constitutional way to oust him from the rule. “I am not a stubborn child,” he added.

The prime minister said that all national institutions were working under the government’s ambit.

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There will be no interference in Awan’s authorities: Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Monday assured Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan that her authorities as a minister are not being intervened, FTNews reported.

During a meeting with Firdous Ashiq Awan in the PM house, Gilani gave instructions to the Federal Minister to design a strategy to inform the public about the important achievements of the government during the 3.5 years.

Awan said that she is designing the strategy in this regard.

Firdous Ashiq Awan also informed the PM about her objections regarding her authorities.

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President, PM vow to ensure parliament’s supremacy

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari on Monday agreed on the supremacy of Parliament and will ensure that the national security would not let any harm, FTNews reported.

In a meeting between the President and the Prime Minister the objection of the Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan was also considered.

President Zardari instructed Gilani to eliminate the concerns of Firdous Ashiq Awan.

Both leaders discussed about the rally of Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) held in Karachi and the joining of some of the leaders of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in PTI.

Moreover, they also exchanged their views regarding the strategy of government with respect to senate elections.

Gilani took Zardari in confidence over the decisions of federal cabinet.

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Memo a ‘pack of lies’: interior ministry

ISLAMABAD: The ministry of interior submitted an affidavit to the Supreme Court on Monday, in response to the statements submitted by Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and DG ISI General Ahmed Shuja Pasha in the ‘memogate’ case.

According to private news channel, the interior ministry told the apex court in the 18-page reply that the Army chief did not immediately inform the prime minister of details regarding the memo scandal.

The government also said that DG ISI General Shuja Pasha should have first informed PM Gilani of his meeting with US-based businessman Mansoor Ijaz.

The affidavit filed by Secretary Interior Khawaja Siddique Akbar raised constitutional and legal questions over the Army chief and DG ISI’s responses to the memo issue.

According to details, General Kayani informed the PM of General Pasha’s meeting with Ijaz after a delay of 20 days. Kayani met with the prime minister on November 13, while his meeting with Pasha took place on October 24.

Similarly, in reply to DG ISI Pasha’s statement, the federal government was of the view that according to the rules and regulations the ISI chief should have informed the prime minister of the issue before anyone else.

The reply also calls Ijaz’s allegations “a pack of lies.” Moreover, it goes on to say that a “piece of paper” does not pose a threat to the world’s “eighth largest army.”

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India, Pakistan resume bilateral talks

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani and Indian officials in Islamabad resumed the bilateral dialogue on conventional and nuclear weapons on Monday, FTNews reported.

The two-day talks mark the beginning of a new phase of discussions on confidence-building measures (CBM) between the neighbours.

According to diplomatic sources, a 10-member Indian delegation is attending the dialogue being held at the Foreign Office. The Indian delegation is headed by Y.K. Sinha and Venkatesh Verma.

Munawar Saeed Bhatti, additional secretary in Pakistan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, will be heading the Pakistani delegation for both expert groups.

India and Pakistan are scheduled to exchange lists of nuclear installations and facilities under an accord signed in 1988 by both countries.

The expert-level meeting on nuclear and conventional weapons is being held after a gap of four years. Earlier in February this year, foreign secretaries of both countries decided to resume the dialogue process that was stalled after the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.

Meetings between the Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani also took place in Maldives in November.

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Nato supply on halt since a month

KARACHI: One month has passed since the supply for Nato forces via Pakistan was suspended, FTNews reported on Monday.

On November 26, after the Nato air strikes on Pakistani posts in Mohmand, Pakistan suspended the supply to Nato in protest.

Pakistan strongly protested against America and Nato and claimed that the attack was deliberate.

Whereas in the investigation report of Nato, these attacks were declared unintentional and a result of mistakes.

As a result of the suspended supply from Pakistan, Nato forces are facing great difficulty.

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