Army, ISI chiefs meet PM Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani met with Chief of Army Staff (COAS) Gen Ashfaque Pervez Kayani and the Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Gen Shuja Pasha on Tuesday, state television reported.

State television gave scant details on the high-powered meeting, which also included Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, 

saying only regional security, especially the situation in Afghanistan, was discussed.

President Asif Ali Zardari is currently on a two-day state visit to Myanmar.

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New Rabiul Awwal moon sighted, Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi will be on Feb 5

LAHORE: The new Rabiul Awwal moon was sighted in parts of Pakistan on Tuesday.

Eid-e-Milad-un-Nabi will fall on February 5, 2012 (Sunday).

As this religious occasion approaches, different buildings and shrines in the country are decorated with colourful lights.

A number of programmes are chalked out by government and religious organisations to celebrate the birth of Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (Peace Be Upon Him) with great reverence and devotion.

Different Naat committees organise Mehfil-e-Naat and people take out huge processions with green flags.

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Malik denies giving statements against Ijaz

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Tuesday assured the commission investigating the memo scandal that he would provide high-level security to US businessman Mansoor Ijaz and would not put his name on the Exit Control List (ECL), FTNews reported.

Malik appeared before the commission here in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) building to explain his “controversial” statements pertaining to the scandal.

Chairman of the commission Justice Qazi Faez Issa had said that the interior minister was intervening in the commission’s affairs and had therefore summoned him to explain his position.

“The commission has ordered the interior minister to appear before the commission today and explain his statements about Mansoor Ijaz’s security,” attorney general Maulvi Anwarul Haq told reporters earlier today.

Malik told the commission that he never mentioned Ijaz’s name in his statements, putting blame on the media for misquoting him.

On this, the commission asked him why he didn’t issue a denial.

Malik told the commission that he was a busy person and did not have enough time to go through newspapers.

He informed the commission that he had directed his media co-coordinators to issue a denial.

He told the commission that box security had been ordered for Ijaz, adding that, the demand of two battalions of the army for security by Ijaz complicated the issue.

During the proceedings, the minister alleged that the American businessman had leveled charges against him and his family.

The commission had resumed its proceedings today after Ijaz had refused to come Pakistan due to reservations over his security.

Earlier during the proceedings, Justice Issa had inquired as to why Ijaz had not come to Pakistan.

Moreover, Justice Issa remarked that the commission had not issued any directive to dissociate the interior ministry from Ijaz’s security.

Explaining his client’s absence before the commission, Ijaz’s counsel, Akram Shaikh, said that his client was receiving threats from the government machinery. Shaikh said government’s representatives were issuing threatening statements against his client.

Moreover, in a written statement, Ijaz said his arrival could have led to a clash between Pakistan’s state institutions.

Meanwhile, PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif supported the idea of recording Ijaz’s statement in either London or Zurich.

Zahid Bokhari, the counsel for Pakistan’s former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani, told journalists before the proceedings that Ijaz had insulted the commission by refusing to come to Pakistan to testify.

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President Zardari in Myanmar to meet Suu Kyi

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Myanmar on Tuesday for two days of talks and a meeting with veteran democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi.

He will hold talks with Myanmar President Thein Sein on upgrading relations, and promoting economic and trade cooperation, and make a special visit to Yangoon to meet Nobel Peace laureate Suu Kyi, his office said.

Suu Kyi is playing an increasingly important role in Myanmar since her release from house arrest just days after elections in 2010 following half a century of military domination.

Zardari’s own relations with Pakistan’s military are increasingly tense over allegations that a secret memo was written at his behest last May in a bid to prevent a feared military coup after US troops killed Osama bin Laden.

Pakistan has been ruled by generals for around half its existence and Suu Kyi’s past has resonated strongly with democracy advocates in Pakistan.

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Pasha submits statement on memo to PCNS

ISLAMABAD: Director General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt-Gen Shuja Pasha on Tuesday submitted his statement on the memogate scandal to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS), FTNews reported.

According to sources, head of the committee Senator Raza Rabbani directly received the statement.

The committee, in its previous meetings, directed Husain Haqqani, Mansoor Ijaz and DG ISI to submit their statements. However, the committee has only received the statement of DG ISI.

While the judicial commission formed by the apex court is probing the issue, the PCNS is also investigating the meogate scandal.

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Khar, Munter discuss Pak-US ties

ISLAMABAD: Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar and US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter on Tuesday discussed the cracks in relations between the two allies after the Nato attack on a Pakistani border check post in November last year.

The two officials held a meeting here to discuss matters of mutual interests.

Khar informed Munter that the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) had forwarded its recommendations to the prime minister relating to a review of ties with the US in the aftermath of the Nato border attack.

She told the envoy that a joint session of parliament was likely to be convened on the matter soon.

Meanwhile, India’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Sharat Sabharwal also held a separate meeting with Khar and exchanged views on restoration of peace between Pakistan and India.

Sabharwal told Khar that the Indian trade minister would visit Pakistan next month to bolster economic activities between the two neighbouring countries.

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Memogate: Mansoor Ijaz given final chance, summoned on February 9

ISLAMABAD: The judicial commission probing the Memogate scandal has given Mansoor Ijaz one final chance and has summoned the Pakistan-American usinessman on February 9, FTNews reported on Tuesday.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, who is heading the commission, said that the commission will not travel abroad to record Ijaz’s statement.

The commission has said that a letter will be written to the Supreme Court to request that the four week deadline to finish the probe be extended.

The Pakistan-American businessman, who is one of the central characters of the Memogate scandal, has twice denied coming to Pakistan to record his statement before the commission, citing security issues.

Earlier today, Interior Minister Rehman Malik had stated that Ijaz’s name had not been placed on the Exit Control List and that the interior ministry had issued a clarification on the matter. Malik was ordered to appear before the commission to respond to the ‘threatening’ statements he gave regarding Mansoor Ijaz’s visit to Pakistan.

Following the order, Attorney General Maulvi Anwarul Haq had talked to Malik who said that he will appear before the commission today.

“The commission has ordered the interior minister to appear before the commission today and explain his statements about Mansoor Ijaz’s security,” attorney general Maulvi Anwarul Haq earlier told reporters.

The minister had warned that the govern­ment will place Ijaz’s name on the Exit Contro­l List, if reques­ted by the parliamentary committee formed to probe the scandal.

Justice Qazi Faez Isa, heading the bench, had inquired why Ijaz was not coming to Pakistan. Ijaz’s lawyer Akram Sheikh had said that his client wanted to bring all proofs to the commission, but the interior ministry had threatened to place his name on the Exit Control List (ECL).

Sheikh added that the army should be the focal point of Ijaz’s security in the country.

Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had earlier ruled out army security for Ijaz, saying that the government will not spend billions of rupees on a “dishonest” person.

The Supreme Court had formed the judicial commission on December 30 last year and had given a four-week deadline to complete the investigations.

Haqqani’s counsel wants Ijaz to be held in contempt of commission

Husain Haqqani’s counsel Zahid Bukhari, while speaking to the media before the hearing, said that Ijaz should be held in contempt of the commission for not appearing as ordered several times.

He added that the security had been arranged as per Ijaz’s demands and if he had any issues with the arrangements, he could have asked for the required changes.

Bukhari further said that there was no law which supported the commission going out of the country to record Ijaz’s statements.

Government not creating hurdles in Ijaz’s way: Chandio

Federal Law Minister Maula Bux Chandio has said that the government is not stopping Ijaz from coming to Pakistan and presenting his stance in front of the commission.

Speaking to the media in Hyderabad, Chandio said that the government was not creating hurdles in Ijaz’s way.

“I question what threats his visit to Pakistan pose to his life,” Chandio said. “He [Ijaz] might be a VIP, in fact, a VVIP. We could have provided him security. We don’t have anything against his visit to Pakistan.”

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Free medicine: With 62 dead, manufacturer blames doctors

LAHORE: One of the owners of the pharmaceutical companies, against whom cases were registered for manufacturing substandard drugs in light of the deaths as a result of a ‘mystery’ disease, has said that the case was a result of mismanagement as the issue had come up at one hospital only.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) had registered cases against three pharmaceutical laboratories and arrested their owners for manufacturing substandard drugs. FIA’s Punjab chapter swung into action on the orders of Interior Minister Rehman Malik and registered cases against three firms – Alfalah Pharma (Pvt) Limited, Mega Pharmaceuticals (Pvt) Limited and Pharmawise Laboratories (Pvt) Limited – on the complaints of federal drug inspectors.

The owner, while speaking to the media, said his company had been supplying the medicine to a number of hospitals and that it had been ‘ill-prescribed’ in this case. He said that a dengue patient already has low blood platelet count and the doctors should make sure that they check the patient’s history before administering the medicines.

Answering a question if this was all a conspiracy, he said that there was a possibility that this was propaganda from multinational companies to suppress the local industry.

He said he accused the doctors, staff at PIC and those prescribing the medicines for the entire episode.

Another owner said that the booklet inside the medicine box clearly stated that the medicine was used for blood-thinning and that it was up to the doctor to decide the intake.

Death toll rises to 62

At least 62 people have died after reacting to a free medicine from the Punjab Institute of Cardiology (PIC), FTNews reported on Tuesday. The government of Punjab has claimed that only 28 have died of the reaction so far.

More than 300 patients are reported to be under treatment at different hospitals in Lahore, out of which 226 patients are at the Services Hospital.

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‘Only a fool would come to Pakistan after government's threatening statements’

LAHORE: After the threatening statements the government gave out, only a fool would come to Pakistan to get his statements recorded, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said on Tuesday.

The minister was speaking to the media outside Punjab Assembly on Mansoor Ijaz’s visit to Pakistan. Ijaz was to appear before the judicial commission probing the Memogate scandal.

Sanaullah said that the government has been giving such statements because it knows that if Ijaz comes to Pakistan with the proofs, then something will emerge against it.

He also commented on Asghar Khan’s petition on punishing groups that have been receiving funds from the ISI, and said that Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) has a clear record and is not afraid of any verdict the court passes in the case.

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Memogate: DG ISI submits reply to parliamentary committee

ISLAMABAD: Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General Ahmed Shuja Pasha submitted a reply to the Parliamentary Committee on National Security probing the Memogate scandal, reported FTNews on Tuesday.

Pasha submitted his reply in the form of a letter to Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Senator Raza Rabbani who is heading the parliamentary committee.

The committee formed by the federal government to investigate the Memogate scandal had summoned the DG ISI and Husain Haqqani last month.

The multi-party, bicameral committee was also assigned to review Pakistan’s terms of engagement with the United States following the November 26 deadly Nato air raid on Pakistani border posts in the Mohmand tribal agency.

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New provinces: MQM wins over PPP to block resolution in assembly

KARACHI: Several MPAs belonging to the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and its two other coalition partners felt betrayed when Speaker Nisar Khuhro backtracked on his Friday promise to allow a resolution against the creation of new provinces.

But on Monday the Muttahida Qaumi Movement once again proved its bargaining prowess by compelling the Sindh chief minister and the speaker to ensure that the proposed resolution is not presented in the house.

Around 50 MPAs are signatories to an adjournment motion for the presentation of a draft resolution that calls on the federal government to withdraw support for the MQM bill, seeking an amendment to the constitution. The amendment deprives the present federating units of their mandatory consent for the creation of new provinces. Out of these 50-plus signatories, 38 belong to the Pakistan Peoples Party, five each to the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional and PML-Q, three to the National Peoples Party and one to the Awami National Party.

Four ministers, Agha Taimur Pathan and Sassui Palijo of the PPP, Shaharyar Mahar of the PML-Q and Amir Nawab Khan of the ANP are among those who put their names to the resolution.

Amid a loud and noisy exchange and heated arguments, pandemonium struck Monday’s proceedings. Members of different parties shouted slogans in favour of their demands. While the legislators of the PPP and MQM were thumping and vowing that, “no one can divide Sindh,” the NPP and PML-Q kept on pleading for permission to table the resolution.

The session was delayed by three and a half hours as the PPP and MQM leaders had a closed-door meeting. After two-hour long negotiations, the MQM succeeded in taming the PPP while the other coalition partners were left to agitate the issue in the house.

Soon after the question-answer session was over, Masoor Jatoi along with his younger brother Arif Mustafa Jatoi started reminding the speaker about his promise to take up the resolution. “Sir, you had promised,” Jatoi pleaded. “Please give me a chance to move the resolution.” His repeated requests were in vain.

The speaker, freshly emerged from an understanding with the MQM, resorted to dilly-dallying by insisting on the completion of the business on the agenda. “We have to take up the adjournment motion before the resolution,” he said while allowing PPP’s Imran Zafar Leghari to move his adjournment motion on some other subject.

But Leghari, who is also one of the signatories to the draft resolution, argued that his adjournment motion was not that important. “We should give preference to the resolution,” he said.

This annoyed Khuhro who sounded bitter when he told Leghari, “I have [allowed] you to move the adjournment motion.” He said he would not allow any other member to move the motion.

Sindh law minister, Ayaz Soomro, took this opportunity to criticise those who insisted on moving the resolution. “We are sons of the soil and will not let anyone break up Sindh,” he thundered. “Whoever has any such designs will be beheaded.” In an emotionally charged speech, he also criticised the Sindhi nationalist leaders who had come to witness the proceedings for the first time since the PPP came to power in 2008.

As the government refused to take up the resolution, MPAs belonging to the NPP and PML-Q boycotted the session saying, “You are a so-called democratic party. Let us join hands if you are sincere with Sindh.” They then left the house.

MQM parliamentary leader Syed Sardar Ahmed was prompted to say that a majority of people in Sindh had come from ‘outside’ the province. “We all have to live in one province, without any discrimination of caste and creed,” he said. “We are not traitors, but among those who love this province. How can we indulge in any conspiracy against our own people?”

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We will accept court verdict on Asghar Khan petition: Sanaullah

LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah on Tuesday said that if US businessman Mansoor Ijaz had come to Pakistan, something or the other must have come to light against the federal government, FTNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives outside the Punjab Assembly, Sanaullah said that Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz’s chief Nawaz Sharif had filed the petition so that facts of the memo issue could be ascertained.

Regarding Air Marshal (retd) Asghar Khan’s petition in which he has accused the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) of bribing politicians, the provincial minister said that the PML-N had clean hands and would accept whatever verdict the court would arrive at.

On the subject of voters’ lists, Sanaullah said that in the year 2011 the election commission had stated that the lists were complete but now the commission had changed its stance on the issue.

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