Ijaz refuses to appear before commission on Jan 9

ISLAMABAD: Central character of the memogate scandal, Mansoor Ijaz refused to appear before the memo commission on January 9, FTNews reported on Friday.

In a letter to the memo commission, Mansoor Ijaz placed a total of 19 conditions to be fulfilled before he appears before the commission.

Ijaz said that he would first record a statement in England before coming to Pakistan.

Moreover, he also expressed reservations about his security, and demanded that the commission ensure his protection.

Ijaz also stated that he was unable to appear before the investigative commission before January 15.

Ijaz’s lawyer Akram Sheikh on Friday said that Ijaz would come to Pakistan on the condition that he is provided complete protection.

“Mansoor Ijaz is not the establishment’s ‘favourite’..he should therefore be assured of his security,” said Akram Sheikh.

Speaking to FTNews, Zahid Bukhari, lawyer for former Ambassador to the US Hussain Haqaani said that Ijaz’s reservations were only “imaginary.”

“This is an excuse. Ijaz is trying to run away from the issue,” said Zahid Bukhari.

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Release of 180 Indian fishermen announced

KARACHI: One hundred and eighty Indian fishermen will be released from Malir Jail on January 7, 2012, said Syed Iqbal Haider, whilst addressing the media in a press conference on Friday. They will be transported to India via Wahga border on January 8, he added.

Senior Advocate Supreme Court and the Co-Chairperson of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Haider demanded the Indian and Pakistani government to release all the foreign prisoners over the age of 60 and expedite their respective trials by providing them with counselling facilities.

He said, “Counselling services can only be provided to the prisoners once their nationally is established, which is why it is difficult to assist the prisoners.”

Prisoners are deprived of legal help until their identities and nationalities are confirmed.

“Four hundred and forty Pakistani fishermen are currently in Indian custody out of which the nationalities of 285 prisoners have been determined, whereas 164 prisoners are inaccessible to any assistance because their nationalities have not been established as yet,” he added.

He also emphasised on the importance of treating fishermen trespassing into either territories, with lenient sentences.

Justice (R) Nasir Aslam Zahid briefed the media on the statistics of Indian prisoners in Pakistan’s custody.

“We have 362 Indian prisoners in our custody out of which 276 have been established as convicts and are serving their respective terms. Two hundred and seventy six will complete their sentence in a few months and will be repatriated, whereas 83 are still inaccessible to help because their nationalities are yet to be determined.”

Muhammad Ali Shah, chairperson of Pakistan Fisher Folk Forum highlighted the issue of missing person in regards to fishermen and urged both the governments to look into the matter as closely as possible.

He gave statistics of various fishermen who went missing during 1999 and 2007 and are yet to be traced.

“When prisoners return from India, we get to hear about other people from the same villages that had been considered dead as they went missing years ago,” Shah said.

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Gilani reiterates commitment on Seraiki province

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Friday said that the resolution on the creation of new provinces was brought to the National Assembly after it was earlier rejected in the Punjab Assembly, FTNews reported.

Addressing the NA, PM Gilani said the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was in favour of creating new provinces, and that the party would also support any such resolutions in the future.

History would not forgive us if the new provinces issue was not taken seriously, said the prime minister. Moreover, consensus has to be created on the issue, he added.

Earlier during the day, PPP leader and federal minister Khurshid Ahmed Shah announced in a noisy National Assembly that consensus had been developed on the formation of Seraiki province and the government was going to table a bill regarding the subject in the lower house of parliament, FTNews reported.

Shah further told the session that a consensus was being developed regarding the formation of a Hazara province.

Meanwhile, MNAs from the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chanted slogans and protested that the resolution for the creation of new provinces had not been put on the NA’s agenda for Friday’s session which was being chaired by Deputy Speaker Faisal Karim Kundi.

Moreover, Awami National Party’s Ghulam Ahmed Bilour said his party was not in favour of dividing the Sindh province, adding that provincial assemblies should decide the issue of creating new provinces.

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Posted in: NATIONAL