Afaq Ahmed free to partake in political activities: Wasan

KARACHI: Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan on Monday said that President Asif Ali Zardari’s return had silenced the country’s political pundits, FTNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives at the Sindh Assembly, Wasan said President Zardari would also be addressing a gathering at Garhi Khuda Bux on Dec 27.

Responding to a question regarding Mohajir Qaumi Movement – Haqiqi’s chairman Afaq Ahmed, Wasan said that all political leaders in Sindh, including Ahmed, were free to partake in political activities.

He said the government believed in political freedoms and that restrictions were only imposed in previous regimes.

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DG ISI should have resigned after Abbottabad operation: Asma

KARACHI: Asma Jahangir, counsel for Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani, said on Monday that Director-General Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Ahmed Shuja Pasha should have resigned when Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was found and killed in Abbottabad, FTNews reported.

Speaking to media representatives outside the Supreme Court, Asma said appropriate methods should be adopted to criticise the court’s decisions and a lawyer should especially be very careful in this regard.

Asma said she was disappointed that copies of Mansoor Ijaz’s reply, which was sent through an email, was immediately distributed to others but was provided after a delay to her.

Asma said she was satisfied with today’s hearing and that she was prepared to defend her client to her utmost capabilities.

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Husain Haqqani submits statement to Abbottabad commission

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s former ambassador to the United States Husain Haqqani on Monday submitted his written reply to the Abbottabad commission, FTNews reported.

After the statement’s submission, the commission directed Haqqani to appear before it again.

Moreover, a statement from Sheikh Rashid, president of the Awami Muslim League, was also submitted to the commission today.

Meanwhile, the Supreme Court was also hearing petitions on the memo affair filed by PML-N president Nawaz Sharif and others.

Earlier, the commission’s head, Justice (retd) Javed Iqbal, had said that the former ambassador was being summoned because the panellists wanted to find out the details of the visas issued by Pakistan’s embassy in Washington during his service.

Haqqani had resigned from his position of ambassador days after Pakistani-American businessman Mansoor Ijaz accused him of being behind the memo that said the military was plotting a coup and appealed to the Pentagon to help ward it off.

Haqqani has denied any connection with the memo.

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Posted in: NATIONAL