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Friday, 21 June, 2013
INTERIOR MINISTER NISAR SAYS NEW SECURITY POLICY WILL BE ANNOUNCED SOON ISLAMABAD
( IMRAN FAROOQ MURDER CASE
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VIPS to loSe SecurIty coVer!
uk police search Altaf’s house for 55 hours LONDON
STAFF REPORT
INP
The government has decided that deployment of Rangers and FC as part of the VIP protocols would be withdrawn. However, they would continue to serve the president, the prime minister and the chief justice. In a press conference, Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said a high-level meeting that deliberated on the law and order situation had finalised priorities to improve security across the country. The interior minister said that security affairs were discussed with the heads of security agencies and relevant departments during the meeting. He said that the government would soon announce the new national security policy. He further said a task force would be constituted for enhancing coordination among security agencies and between security and intelligence agencies while another task force would also be formed on missing persons issue. In the next three months, Islamabad police stations would be computerised and brought under a central command which would help to share registered FIRs across the network, Nisar said. It is relevant to note here that sitting IGP Bani Amin, DIG Sultan Azam Taimuri, SSP Traffic Dr Moeen Masood, SSP Headquarters Sajid Kiani, SSP Security Mir Vaiz have been serving in Islamabad police at least for the last five years. Even, SSP Traffic Dr Moeen Masood three time managed to get his transfer orders to Balochistan cancelled. The interior minister also announced to launch a grand operation against non-registered vehicles and underage drivers in next three days, saying that action would be taken against law violators. “We have to bring spoilt children on the right track,” Nisar said referring to the youth who loiter outside public places in the capital. Traffic laws will be strictly observed initially on three major roads of Islamabad in the first phase and later the strict observation would be unfolded onto other roads. A mass transit metro bus program from Rawalpindi to Islamabad would be formulated on an urgent basis, he said. He added that a flyover from Bara-Kahu will be constructed as a joint project between Islamabad and the Punjab government, Nisar said. The interior minister said a list of “most notorious” officials of Islamabad Capital Territory and Capital Development Authority would be prepared and they would be sidelined. Computerisation of the land record will also take place. “I have been told this will take one year but I have directed to complete it in next six months,” Nisar said. All barriers in Islamabad would be removed while toll plazas would also be shut in the federal capital. Rescue 1122 would be established, he added.
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N connection with Dr Imran Farooq’s murder investigation, the British Metropolitan Police Counter Terrorism Command Unit on Thursday concluded a 55-hour search in two North West London “residential addresses” – one of them belonging to Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain, reported a private TV channel. The New Scotland Yard, which raided the houses on Tuesday, ransacked both the apartments during the painstaking search. According to sources, Altaf is the proprietor of one of the two houses, which the police combed for more than two days leaving no stone unturned. Dr Farooq, the former convener of the MQM, was stabbed to death outside
File photo
his home on September 16, 2010 as he was returning home. It has been learnt that the raid started on Tuesday, June 19 at around 6am at
two important addresses in the area close to where Dr Farooq was killed in Edgware, London. When approached, a spokesman of
PTI lawmaker stirs controversy in NA by seeking Qadri’s release ISLAMABAD TAyyAb HUSSAIN
A lawmaker of the Pakistan Tehreeke-Insaf (PTI) triggered a new controversy in the Lower House of parliament on Thursday by demanding an “honourable release” for Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of former Punjab governor Salmaan Taseer evoking a fiery response from the Pakistan People’s Party with its legislator, Nafeesa Shah denouncing it. However, senior PTI leader Dr Arif Alvi intervened and distanced his party from the irresponsible statement made by one of the members of his party, Mujahid Ali, saying that it was Ali’s personal view and not the party’s official stance. Moreover, eyebrows were raised within the PML-N as two treasury members, Ijazul Haq and Raza Hayat Hiraj, confronted the allegations made the other day by none other than the interior minister, Nisar Ali Khan, against the top intelligence
agency of the country, the ISI, for its involvement in the Quetta blast. Both lawmakers said accusing agencies was not right as it was "our army" and not that of India or any other state. The lawmakers from both sides of the political divide expressed their views on the Finance Bill 2013-14 as Minister for Finance Ishaq Dar is likely to make his concluding speech on the budget today (Friday), which would be followed by voting for the passage of the bill. With a strong muscle, the PML-N and its allied parties are likely to get the finance bill passed in the next week. BUDGET DEBATE: Taking part in the budget discussions, PTI President Javed Hashmi said the finance bill offered nothing to the poor of the country while the government through the budget had given a clear message that feudals were free to go scot-free while the poor would have to bear the expenditures of the government. He said it was very unfor-
tunate that the government had virtually turned the direction of the taxes from the rich to the poor. "No taxes are being levied on sugar mills, textile mill owners and feudals. The government has once again opted to go to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), hence, picking up the begging bowl which it claims to have broken a decade ago," Hashmi said. He demanded Islamabad be made a separate provinces to properly manage the affairs of the metropolitan with two million population as the Capital Development Authority (CDA) alone could not manage such a large city. PML-Zia chief Ejazul Haq said the country was facing of terrorism and energy crisis and anti-state elements were hatching conspiracies to destabilise Pakistan. “India has set up 14 consulates in Afghanistan where agents of RAW, Mossad and CIA are active against Pakistan,” he claimed.
Sri Sri to make global pitch for peace on FaceBook BANGALORE PRESS RELEASE
This is undoubtedly going to be a page with no Unlike button! As the founder of The Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar spiritualizes Facebook by turning it into a tool of meaningful dialogue for transformation, it will be 'liked' by over a million people across the globe both online and offline. Mark the page of this electrifying event aimed at promoting his vision of creating a violence-free, stressfree society. The Face2Face event on Facebook with Sri Sri goes live 7.30pm to 9pm on June 23. The idea is to make a global connection of responsible citizens, mainly youth who are willing to do their bit for peace and harmony. This is not the first time that Sri Sri is using social media networks to share and spread his vision for a “One World Family”. On January 26 this year, he used the platform of Google HangOut to reach out to millions across the globe with his call for volunteering for a better society. The
electrifying event described as one of biggest online gatherings drew civil society members, artists, sportsmen, journalists, policy makers from countries like Oman, Taiwan, Paraguay, Zimbabwe, Slovenia, USA, Italy, Germany, Sweden, Argentina, Israel, India and Pakistan. “Technology has shrunk the
world into a global village and spirituality will turn it into a global family,” Sri Sri often says highlighting the synergy between technology and spirituality. Sri Sri is now making it happen by providing people in the technological space with a platform to participate in the spiritual pursuit of building a stress-free and violence-free world. “If we can get rid of the stress and anxiety, then the dream of a one world family is not far away,” he had remarked during the Google Hangout event. "Social media such as Facebook are a very effective medium for connecting with youth of today. The efficacy of such medium will be enhanced when it's used by influential people like Sri Sri to energizethem for a good cause. Youth all over the world are restless to make their voices heard and do something to better the world. But often their energy ebbs, as there is no sense of direction. This Facebook event will help them find their own ways and means to contribute in building a better society. It will make them feel empowered," explained Uzair Khan,
Media Rep, The Art of Living. During the Facebook event, Sri Sri will answer questions from diverse topics of interest. The event will have four segments -- Sri Sri's personal life, Success and Creativity, Global Issues and Love and Relationships. Each segment will be peppered with interesting anecdotes, cartoon strips, video clips, etc. The event will also include an online-guidedmediation, whichis expected to be joined in by over 1 million people worldwide. Participants can post their questions on the event page in Facebook, on the Art of Living website, or on Twitter with the hashtag #Ask SriSri. The best questions will be selected and grouped by a panel based on an online poll for the questions. The selected questions will be posed to Sri Sri by a host on behalf of the questioner during the event and there will be multiple moderators from around the world. The event can be viewed (like a webcast) on SriSri's Facebook page. For more details: log onto www.facebook.com/HHSriSriRaviShankar.
the Metropolitan Police confirmed that officers from the MPS Counter Terrorism Command, “executed search warrants at two residential addresses in north-west London as part of the continuing investigation into the murder of Dr Imran Farooq on September 16, 2010”. There have been many searches but no arrests have been made as yet. The UK Police are investing Dr Farooq’s murder on several lines, including one strong line of investigation that he was in discussions with his colleagues and members of the public to start his own independent political career. The raid in London at two important addresses was seen as highly important as Dr Farooq’s third death anniversary approaches. These searches were carried out under the Police and Criminal Evidence Act (PACE).
PM APProves negotiAtions with ttP: fo ISLAMABAD ONLINE
The Foreign Office has said that the prime Minister has announced holding talks with the Tehreek–e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Foreign Office spokesman Aizaz Chaudhry said in his weekly briefing that Pakistan facilitated the US and its allies for opening the Taliban office in Doha, as Pakistan considered it a continuation of the reconciliatory process. He excused from giving details about the terms and conditions of the opening of Taliban office, saying he was unaware about the terms. Aizaz clarified that no untoward incident occurred in the meeting between special adviser to the PM and charge d’ Affairs of American embassy. He reminded that Pakistan always asserted holding dialogue with all factions for sustainable peace and to end the war in Afghanistan. The spokesman added that peace in Afghanistan was in the interest of all, adding that Pakistan was busy in talks with the US and Afghanistan at different levels. He said Pakistan had released 26 Taliban prisoners on the request of Afghan Peace Loya Jirga in the past. To a query, he said if America “can talk to the Afghan Taliban, why can Pakistan not talk to the TTP”. The spokesman added that US officials had told Pakistani authorities the reason for cancelling Us Secretary of State John Kerry’s visit to Pakistan and the reason was the prevailing situation in the Middle East.
sC reserves verdiCt in Pol gst suo Motu CAse ISLAMABAD NNI
The Supreme Court on Thursday reserved its verdict in a suo motu case pertaining to the imposition of general sales tax (GST) on petroleum products without parliament’s approval. A three-member SC bench, led by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, had been hearing the case in which the attorney general of Pakistan and chiefs of the FBR and OGRA had submitted their replies. The bench reserved its verdict which is likely to be announced today (Friday). The CJP observed that the tax collected from the masses sans parliament’s approval was illegal which should be returned to the people. “It’s a legal requirement which must be fulfilled,” he said.