PPP to not respond to court in Swiss case

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) categorically refused to submit a letter to Swiss authorities as demanded earlier by the Supreme Court, FTNews reported on Thursday. The decision was taken during a meeting of the party’s core committee.

Chairing the committee meeting, President Asif Ali Zardari remarked that the Constitution provides the president with immunity in such cases. Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani was also present at the meeting.

The Supreme Court on January 3 gave a seven-day deadline to the government for the implementation of the National Reconciliation Ordinance, which included an order to the government to write a letter to Swiss authorities to reopen cases against President Zardari.

The meeting continues in the President House, and sources say that the Memogate issue will be discussed along with upcoming Senate elections, current political situation of the country and relations with coalition parties.

Before the meeting commenced, a Quran Khwani was held to commemorate former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto on his birth anniversary.

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Uproar in NA over new provinces talk; ANP walks out

ISLAMABAD: The Awami National Party (ANP) walked out of the National Assembly session on Thursday, claiming that proceedings of the House were not being run according to Parliamentary norms.

“As the proceedings of the House are being run against Parliamentary rules and procedures, we have no option except to walk out,” ANP President Asfandyar Wali said while announcing his decision to walk out of the session.

Wali opposed the discussion on resolutions moved for creation of new provinces in South Punjab and Hazara saying that as these issues were not present on the order of the day, hence discussion could not be started.

He said he was not opposed to a debate on the issue but members should have been intimated in advance about it. “We should have been given time so that we could be prepared for the debate,” he added.

Moreover, Wali said that his party did not oppose the creation of new provinces, however, the process should occur according to the constitution.

The ANP chief also said they would also oppose a bill for the creation of a Seraiki province if presented in parliament. According to the constitution, the concerned province has to first pass a resolution with a two-third majority for such a bill to be presented in parliament, he said.

Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan and some Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) legislators had also expressed similar views regarding discussion on the issue. This generated a controversy leading to an uproar, forcing Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi to suspend proceedings for twenty minutes.

However, when the proceedings resumed the ANP chief announced their decision to walkout of the session.

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Pakistani militants kill 15 security officers

DERA ISMAIL KHAN: Pakistani militants on Thursday killed 15 security force members they kidnapped last month close to the Afghan border.

The mens’ naked bodies were dumped in Shiwa town in the North Waziristan region, said local residents Sada-u-Alla and Salam Khan.

Intelligence officials confirmed the men had been killed. The officials didn’t give their names because they were not authorised to be identified in the media.

In a statement, the Pakistani Taliban said the slayings were in retaliation for an army operation on Jan. 1 in the region that killed several militants, including a prominent commander. It alleged that troops also killed a woman and arrested others, ”something that was forbidden and illegitimate in Islam as well as against tribal traditions.”

The slain men were members of the Constabulary Corp, a paramilitary outfit active in the border region with Afghanistan.

The insurgents kidnapped them during a Dec. 22 attack on a Pakistani security base in the border region.

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US wants strengthened ties with Pakistan: Munter

ISLAMABAD: The United States ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter on Thursday said that America wanted to strengthen ties with Pakistan, FTNews reported.

Addressing a seminar in Islamabad, Munter said the year of 2012 would be the year of improvement in US-Pakistan relations.

Munter said the US appreciated Pakistan’s review of its ties with the United States.

He said both Pakistan and the US agreed over establishing peace in Afghanistan and were motivated for that purpose.

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SC issues show cause notice to Babar Awan

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Thursday grilled former law minister Babar Awan for his remarks regarding the judiciary and issued a show cause notice to him, FTNews reported.

During a hearing of the Bhutto reference here, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry took serious notice of Awan’s comments in the media after the court issued a contempt notice to him and other members of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Wednesday.

After deciding to hear the Bhutto reference later, the chief justice asked Awan as to why he ridiculed the notices issued to PPP leaders and said: If you would not respect the state’s institutions, then who would?

Justice Iftikhar said that he was in favour of criticising the judiciary but Awan’s comments were not criticism, adding that Awan was not issued a license to insult the apex court.

Moreover, Justice Jawwad S. Khwaja decided to quit the bench after viewing footage of the comments.

He was quoted as saying that he would not forgive Awan even if 10 other judges on the bench would decide to pardon him.

Arrangements were made on the court’s orders for footage and news clips of the remarks given by the former minister.

Moreover, office bearers of the Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) apologised to the court over Awan’s comments.

The court adjourned the reference’s hearing and directed Awan to submit his response by Jan 9.

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