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N NEWS
SC allowS eCp To revISe lg pollS’SChedule polls in punjab to be held on January 30, in Sindh on January 18 and in Kp and cantonment areas in February g eCp secretary asks candidates to submit nomination papers afresh g
ISLAMABAD
Thursday, 14 November, 2013
Sartaj meetS manmohan, StreSSeS good tieS with india
T
KASHiF ABBASi
HE Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to the Election Commission of Pakistan’s proposal to delay the local bodies (LB) polls in Punjab and Sindh. According to the ECP’s new proposed schedule, polls in Punjab would be held on January 30; in Sindh on January 18; and in KP and cantonment areas in February. The flexibility on the part of the SC came after thousands of candidates suffered in the name of filing of nomination papers. “Since, in Punjab we have to hold elections on party basis, so defiantly, those who have submitted nomination papers
they would have to file their nomination papers afresh. As earlier, there were some lacunae in the nomination papers, which were issued in haste,” says ECP Secretary Ishtiak Ahmed Khan. He, however, said the candidates who had already filed nomination papers were not required to deposit security. A threemember SC bench, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry, while accepting the ECP’s application allowed it to hold elections in accordance with the new schedule. Earlier, on Tuesday, the SC registrar had rejected the ECP’s petition, saying that the court had already disposed of the case, but things changed late night. Sources in ECP said that the acting chief election commissioner asked the registrar to hear the petition, as holding the LB polls in the
line of SC orders was impossible for the ECP. The SC had directed the ECP to hold polls in Punjab and Sindh on December 7 and in Balochistan on November 27. However, the ECP, on account of certain practical and technical difficulties, showed its inability to hold elections in given time. Sources said the ECP sent a letter to the registrar highlighting all difficulties being faced by the ECP and proposing new dates for Punjab, Sindh, KP and cantonment area, this letter was converted into a petition. In the letter, the ECP told the SC that the commission was all set to hold polls in Balochistan on December 7. The court order said, “It is obligation of the government to adhere to the constitution in letter and spirit and no one can be allowed in any manner, to deviate from any of its provi-
Three ‘Taliban’, Rangers official killed in Karachi raid KARACHI STAFF REPORT
NEW DELHI AgEnciES
Sartaj Aziz, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s foreign affairs adviser, on Wednesday met Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and reaffirmed Islamabad’s desire to have “good neighbourly relations with India”. The meeting was held at the prime minister’s official residence and “it lasted for half an hour”, an informed source told IANS. According to a statement by the Foreign Office in Islamabad, Aziz conveyed to Manmohan Singh the greetings of Nawaz Sharif and “reaffirmed the desire of Pakistan to have good neighbourly relations with India”. The FO statement said that Aziz paid a courtesy call on the Indian prime minister and took the opportunity to convey the greetings of the prime minister of Pakistan to him and reaffirmed the desire of Pakistan to have good neighbourly relations with India. The need to address all outstanding issues through dialogue process was also affirmed. The meeting with Manmohan Singh took place a day after Aziz met External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon in Gurgaon.
Three militants allegedly associated with the proscribed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and one Rangers trooper were killed when a shootout took place during a targeted operation conducted by the paramilitary force in the Gulshane-Buner area on Wednesday. A Rangers spokesman said that the suspected Taliban militants were plotting attacks to be carried out during Muharram and opened fire when the
Rangers team arrived in the vicinity to conduct a targeted operation. He further said that the three suspects were killed in retaliatory fire by the raiding team. The spokesman confirmed that one of the Rangers man, belonging to the Anti-Terrorist Wing, was killed and another injured during the clash, adding that a huge quantity of weapons, including hand grenades, were also recovered from the killed suspects. The suspects were also said to be involved in the attack on an imambargah in Karachi’s Quaidabad area in September
this year. The bodies of the suspected militants were handed over to the police for completion of legal formalities. Gulshan-e-Buner lies in Karachi’s Landhi district near Quaidabad area. Gulshan-e-Buner is considered a particularly lawless area which even the police usually avoid entering. It has a known Pakistan Taliban presence. In December, a polio worker was shot dead there. If the Rangers and police have now have managed to penetrate the area, it reflects their determination to neutralise militant strongholds.
JI writes letter to pM, criticises army’s statement LAHORE AgEnciES
The Jamaat-e-Islam (JI), whose chief is at the centre of a controversy over his remarks on martyrs, on Wednesday came down heavily on the Pakistan Army for publicly denouncing Munawar Hassan in a press release. JI Secretary General Liaquat Baloch wrote a letter to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, stating that all institutions, including the armed forces of Pakistan, should work within
the constitutional ambit. The JI leader said though there were no two opinions with regard to martyrdom of military personnel, Pakistan Army’s direct address to a religious and political party seemed an unconstitutional act. He said that an artificial and complicated atmosphere was created on the basis of two statements of Syed Munwar Hasan. Baloch said the party had always held the military in high esteem and offered condolences over the deaths of
senior military officials, even visiting their homes on occasions. He said since a political government was at the helm of affairs, the armed forces had no right to serve a notice to the head of a political party. Asking for a full review of policies, the JI leader said the rulers had chosen a wrong path (war on terror), which had led to dreadful results for the nation. Baloch said the nation stood united against the drone strikes but the ‘US stooges’ were trying to provide a legal cover to these attacks.
Security forces attacked in Bannu, Jamrud, peshawar g
Two Khasadar personnel injured in Jamrud, two policemen injured in attack on Bannu checkpost PESHAWAR STAFF REPORT
At least three explosion took place on Wednesday in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu, Jamrud and Peshawar areas injuring two policemen and as many Khasadar force personnel. Two members of the Khasadar force were injured in an explosion that occurred near a security checkpost in Takhta Beg area of Khyber tribal
region’s Jamrud tehsil. Political administration official Ghyas said that unknown persons had planted an explosive device near the Takhta Beg checkpoint in Jamrud which exploded on Wednesday morning with a huge bang. He added that two personnel of the Khasadar force were injured in the blast and shifted to Hayatabad Medical Complex in Peshawar. Fear and panic gripped the area after the blast whereas a contingent of security men reached
the site and cordoned off the area as a search operation went underway in the area. In another incident, two policemen were injured when militants attacked a police checkpost in Bannu. According to sources, militants fired 12 rockets at the police checkpost in Bannu. Police retaliated and managed to repulse the attack. Two police personnel, however, sustained injuries. At least, 20 police personnel were present at the checkpost at the time of the attack. Bannu has witnessed a number of
attacks and was the scene of a massive jail break in April 2012 during which 384 prisoners escaped from its central prison. Moreover, an explosion took place near Achini Bala area on Peshawar’s Ring Road. There were no casualties in the blast. A security forces convoy was travelling on Peshawar’s Ring Road when a roadside planted bomb detonated in Achini Bala area. Security and rescue teams reached the site of incident.
sions particularly in view of the fact that the Constitution is a binding document as it has been given by 18 crore people of this country to themselves. Therefore, its provisions particularly relating to the general public empowering them politically, administratively and financially through their chosen representatives by establishing the system of the local government in terms of Articles 32 and 140A of the Constitution should be strictly observed. However, preceding to the above observations, orders were repeatedly passed by this court calling upon the provincial governments as well as the federal government to hold local bodies elections as early as could be possible as it is the command of the constitution and no deviation from the constitution is possible.”
Twin blasts in Karachi’s North Nazimabad injure at least 15 KARACHI: At least 15 people, including children, journalists and security officials, were injured in two explosions near an Imambargah in Karachi’s North Nazimabad area on Wednesday. Initial reports suggest that an Imambargah near Pahar Ganj area was the apparent target of the attack. The deafening blasts were heard far away, and shattered windows of nearby buildings. A vehicle was reportedly destroyed in the first explosion which took place at 9:40pm. But even after a clearance signal by the Bomb Disposal Squad (BDS) and security forces, a second blast occurred at the same location at around 11pm. According to police, around half a kilogramme of explosives were used in the blasts. However, nature of the explosions was yet to be ascertained. The injured were rushed Abbasi Shaheed and other hospital in the surroundings. Sindh Governor Dr Ishratul Ebad Khan ordered security to be put on red-alert across the city on account of Ashura. AgEnciES
Mobile phones to go silent in 25 cities on Ashura! ISLAMABAD: The federal government has decided to shut down cellular phone services in 25 cities on Thursday and Friday for security reasons in connection with Yaume-Ashur. The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) has sent the list of cities to the mobile phone companies. According to sources, mobile phone services will remain shut in Karachi, Hyderabad, Khairpur, Sehwan, Nawabshah and Larkana for two days. In restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, there will be no mobile phone service in Dera Ismail Khan, Kohat, Hangu, Lakki Marwat, Bannu and parts of Peshawar. In addition, the mobile phone companies have been asked to block services in Faisalabad, Sargodha, Rahimyar Khan, Bhakkar, Dera Ghazi Khan, Muzffargarh, Pakpattan, Multan, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi, Jhang and Attock.The mobile phone service would also remain off on routes of Muharram processions in specific cities, the sources added. inP