Parliament to decide on Nato supplies resumption: PM

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said that while former ruler Pervez Musharraf gave into US demands on a single telephone call, the decision to resume Nato supplies would be made by the parliament, FTNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives in Lahore, the prime minister said that as opposed to the appeasing attitude of the Musharraf government, not only had the current democratic government suspended Nato supplies to Afghanistan, it had also boycotted the Bonn conference.

He further said that the parliament would decide the issue of resuming supplies to Nato forces.

The premier said the government was functioning in accordance with the mandate bestowed upon it by the people.

He said that his appearance before the Supreme Court showed that he respected the judiciary and its orders.

The prime minister reiterated the pledge that the Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition government would come up with solutions of issues faced by the public on a day-to-day basis.

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Issue of immunity sub judice, says Kaira

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party’s Information Secretary Qamar Zaman Kaira on Friday said it was inappropriate to hold debates on the issue of the immunity which had become a sub judice matter.

Speaking to a private news channel, he said the media should avoid airing speculative content about an issue that was sub judice and there should be no discussions on the subject.

The media should hold debates on this issue once it has been decided upon by the court, he added.

He said PPP leader and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani’s counsel Aitzaz Ahsan had clarified his stance on the issue in two different talk shows.

To a question, Kaira said Ahsan was maintaining his previous position that the president enjoyed immunity.

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I'm the first longest-serving premier in Pakistan's history: Gilani

LAHORE: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Friday said that he is the first prime minister in the history of Pakistan who has served for the longest period. Gilani responded to a question about the possibility that he might have to step down as a result of the contempt of court proceedings against him.

Speaking to the media at the convocation of a university in Lahore, Gilani said, “the only stable position rests with Allah.”

The premier said that it is the job of the opposition to criticise the government and the people should let them fulfill their duty. He asked what the opposition did when they were in power.

The premier said that the government’s job is to follow the mandate of the people.

He said that the Pakistan Peoples Party-led government respects the judiciary and strives to maintain equilibrium in all the institutions.

In a response to a question regarding the November 28 Nato attack on Pakistani check post, Gilani said that the government has taken stern actions against the attack.

“We got the US forces vacate the Shamsi Base, boycotted the Bonn Conference and blocked Nato supplies through Pakistani routes,” he said. “We did this because we are not answerable to any other country.”

The premier said that the dictators who came into power proclaimed about ending corruption and poverty, but they failed to do so despite staying into power for 10 years.

“They still say that the nation is missing them and they want to come back. We want to tell them that there is no chance for them to come back.”

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Mansoor Ijaz granted Pakistan visa after personal visit to High Commission

LONDON: Mansoor Ijaz, the central figure in the Memogate case has been granted a one year multiple-entry visa to Pakistan, FTNews reported on Thursday.

Ijaz visited the the Pakistan High Commission in London, where he was granted the visa.

Masoor Ijaz has to appear before a judicial commission investigating the memogate scandal on January 24. He is also due to appear before the Parliamentary committe investigating the same case on January 26.

Earlier, Ijaz had claimed that his life faced a threat in Pakistan. Upon this, the Supreme Court had issued directives that he could be allotted an army security detail.

On Thursday, the Islamabad High Court dismissed a petition calling for the arrest of Ijaz. It ruled that Ijaz could not be arrested till he violates any Pakistani law.

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Six times the cost: Pakistan Nato blockade proves costly for US

Sending war supplies to Afghanistan is six times more expensive than before for the United States due of Pakistan shutting two of its border crossings for Nato containers, The Associated Press has reported.

Pakistan took this step after a Nato air strike killed at least 23 soldiers at Salala check post in November last year.

According to reports, it costs US $104 million per month to send the supplies through a different route now, which is $87 million more than when the freight went through Pakistan.

US officials said that costs are not likely decrease in the near future, since US-Pakistan relations remain tense.

However earlier there were contradictory media reports that Pakistan is expected to re-open supply routes to Nato forces in Afghanistan soon. While a foreign ministry spokesperson described such reports as speculative, diplomatic sources confirmed that Islamabad had given the nod for the resumption of Nato supplies once parliament approves new terms of engagements with the US.

The two land routes to Afghanistan through Pakistan account for just under a third of all cargo that the Nato-led International Security Assistance Force (Isaf) ships into Afghanistan.

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Govt has no intention of sacking Kayani, Pasha: AG

ISLAMABAD: During the hearing of a petition filed against a possible removal of Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani and Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt-Gen Ahmad Shuja Pasha, the government clarified that it had no intention of sacking the said officials, FTNews reported.

Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq told the Supreme Court bench hearing the petition that the government had no plans to take such an action.

On the attorney general’s explanation, Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry directed him to file a written reply after taking orders on the issue from the government.

Subsequently, the petition’s hearing was adjourned for two weeks.

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Govt prepared to provide security to Ijaz: Malik

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Friday said the government was prepared to provide fool-proof security to American businessman Mansoor Ijaz on his arrival to Pakistan, FTNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives outside the parliament, Malik said Ijaz, the central character of the memogate scandal, would also have to answer for his role in toppling Benazir Bhutto’s government.

Moreover, the interior minister said Islamabad had not been sealed on Thursday — the day Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani appeared before the Supreme Court — and the government was only ensuring security for the occasion.

He said the government had information pertaining to the possibly of disruption at the court due to which security was enhanced.

Malik said few individuals even tried to create some disturbance, but due to tight security within a kilometre’s radius of the court no untoward incident occurred.

The minister said Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif has been calling for elections since the setting up of the government, however, the government would complete its term.

Malik assured that no foreigners could be allowed to spy in or against Pakistan and said spying was not done with the government’s approval.

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Musharraf not seeking help to avoid arrest: US

WASHINGTON: The United States rebuffed reports that Pakistan’s former ruler Pervez Musharraf had sought a meeting with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over his return to Pakistan, FTNews reported on Friday.

State Department spokesperson Victoria Nuland said that Musharraf was not asking for favours from US officials to avoid arrest in Pakistan.

Musharraf had announced in a telephonic address to a public gathering in Karachi that he was planning to return to Pakistan in the last week of January.

Nuland also said that there were reports that Pakistan had decided to restore Nato supply lines from Pakistan to Afghanistan.

She, however, said that the US was still waiting for an official confirmation on the subject and a formal announcement from the Pakistani side.

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NAB wants to verify legislators’ assets

ISLAMABAD: The National Accountability Bureau has renewed its efforts to seek a role in scrutiny of statements of assets and liabilities filed by legislators with the Election Commission and the information, including tax details, submitted by candidates along with their nomination papers.

According to sources, the bureau has written a letter to the commission asking it to provide information pertaining to the candidates who file nomination papers to contest any future elections, besides seeking previous record.

It has also asked the commission to update it on the verification of lawmakers’ academic qualifications and action taken against those possessing fake or invalid degrees.

Election Commission Secretary Ishtiak Ahmad Khan, when contacted, said: “I do not know what the contents of the letter are and can only say it will be placed before the Election Commission which will take a decision.”

He said the filing of statements had remained a cosmetic exercise but a decision had been taken to put in place a mechanism for scrutinising all documents submitted by legislators.

However, legislation will be required for the purpose. “So far we do not have the power to scrutinise the declarations of the lawmakers. How can we give to the bureau something we do not have,” he said.

Former chief of the bureau Lt-Gen Munir Hafeez had also asked the EC in 2006 to assign his organisation the officially declared role to probe the veracity of statements submitted by candidates, but the commission had replied that it was beyond its mandate and required legislation.

The accountability bureau had also sent a brief outline of proposed steps to check mushroom growth of political parties and carry out meaningful verification of the particulars submitted by candidates.

The EC in a comprehensive response sent to the bureau on Aug 31, 2007, proposed a mechanism to check the veracity of statements of accounts and empower the commission to refuse to allocate symbols to parties which did not submit the statements on a regular basis.

It said there was no provision in the law for scrutiny of the details of election expenses submitted by candidates.

The commission suggested that there should be a provision in the law for scrutiny of statements of assets and liabilities by an agency authorised to initiate proceedings against those giving incorrect information.

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