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PML-N leaders participated in 2008 election due to international pressure; their wealth was lying in banks abroad — Imran Khan
news Tuesday, 2 April, 2013
PM gives nod to 15-member cabinet pt edItOr lIkely tO be AppOInted InFOrmAtIOn mInISter ISLAMABAD TAyyAB HUSSAIN
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LAHORE: PML-N President Nawaz Sharif chairs a meeting of Central Parliamentary Board at PML-N Central Secretariat in Model Town. INP
CJP takes suo motu notice of corruption in Gilani, Raja tenures
UK commander warns of ‘dangerous’Afghan troop cut LOnDOn
ISLAMABAD
INP
ONLINE
Cutting British forces in Afghanistan too quickly could “endanger” progress at a critical time, the UK’s top commander there has told a paper. Lt Gen Nick Carter, deputy chief of NATO’S International Security Assistance Force (ISAF), told the Independent passing control of security to Afghan forces was going well. But he warned any move to thin out UK forces too soon would be unforgivable. And as part of a gradual withdrawal, the number of British troops in Afghanistan will be almost halved from 9,000 to 5,200 by the end of 2013. Lt Gen Carter’s warning comes as forces for Afghan President Hamid Karzai who have been carrying out their first engagement without Western help called for support from
Chief Justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Monday took notice of corruption in various mega projects that were approved during the tenures of former prime ministers, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf and Yousaf Raza Gilani. The CJP said the case would be heard on April 3. News reports said the CJP took notice of a news report carried in an Urdu daily which reported that the record of mega projects approved during the tenure of Gilani and Ashraf were being tampered with as there were apprehensions that the Supreme Court might summon the record.
Every opportunity to be provided to nAB chairman: SC ISLAMABAD ONLINE
Supreme Court (SC) has directed Latif Khosa, counsel for chairman National Accountability Bureau (NAB) Fasihud Din Bokhari to present before it legal points of his arguments in writing. The SC issued these directives during the course of hearing of intra court appeal filed by chairman NAB in contempt of court case for writing letter to the president. A five member larger bench of SC headed by Justice Anwar Zahir Jamali resumed the hearing of intra court appeal on Monday. Latif Khosa took the plea that chairman NAB had not issued the letter to the media. “Whosoever has issued letter should be proceeded against under contempt of court plea. Why his client is being indicted when the letter was not given to the press by him,” he submitted. Justice Saqib Nisar remarked some things were very significant with reference to letter, that the letter was written and delivered to the media. “Anything could be said after determining the facts about the letter,” he further remarked. “The NAB chairman would be provided every opportunity,” he said.
ISAF during a battle against drug smugglers, according to the paper. Elsewhere, a major operation to airlift tonnes of UK military equipment from Afghanistan, including helicopters and armoured vehicles, is already underway. Speaking to the Independent, Lt Gen Carter said, “It would be unforgivable if we allowed the gains of the last three years to be lost because we were not able to provide the Afghans with the support to take this through into 2014.” “Our judgement is we have to manage this in a way that retains confidence. Precipitating withdrawal that is not in line with the current plan will damage Afghan confidence.” He also said the coming summer would be “a genuine test of the capability and confidence of the Afghan forces, a test of determination of the
Afghan people to be with their government and a test of how much will remain in the insurgency”. Brigadier Bob Bruce, commander of Task Force Helmand - overseeing Britain’s military efforts in Afghanistan - told the Guardian newspaper it was the right time for Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) to take control of the country’s security, with the option of British backup “if they really struggle”. “This is their insurgency. We know for a fact there is no military solution to the insurgency,” he said, explaining the main problem was a political one. “It is a battle of offers: the offer the government makes to the people and the offer the insurgents make to the people.” He added, “We will not let them fail. When they really need us, we will intervene.”
FTER a thorough consultation with all stakeholders, Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso on Monday finalised a lean and thin federal cabinet comprising 15 top experts in various fields. Of the 15-member cabinet, seven ministers belong to Punjab, three are from Sindh and Balochistan each and two from Khyber
nICl scam case: Arrest warrants issued for Fahim, six others ISLAMABAD INP
A special provincial anti-corruption court hearing the case of a multi-billion-rupee scam in the National Insurance Company, on Monday issued non-bail-able arrest warrants against seven accused, including former federal minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim. Other accused in the case include former federal commerce secretary Salman Ghani, Amin Qasim Dada and Javed Saeed (directors of NICL) and Khalid Anwar Khan. All accused were booked for allegedly causing huge financial losses to the exchequer by violating rules in the selling a piece of land in Korangi area of Karachi. The court issued arrest warrants against the Senior Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and six others until April 12, as they did not appear before the court on Monday hearing.
SOOFI tO be gIven mInIStry OF lAw Pakhtunkhwa. The state institutions including media have been advocating installation of a lean cabinet comprising of experts and professionals. “The prime minister has selected the following eminent personalities as members of the caretaker cabinet,” a statement issued by the press secretary to prime minister late on Monday. Pakistan Today Editor Arif Nizami, who is likely to be given the portfolio of
minister for information and broadcasting while renowned lawyer Ahmer Bilal Soofi is likely to be appointed law minister. The list also includes Malik Habib, Mushtaq Khan, Dr Musaddaq Malik, Arif Nizami, Shahzada Ahsan Ashraf Sh, and Shahzada Jamal. Maqbool HH Rahmatoola, Sohail Wajahat H Siddique, and Dr Younis Soomro have been selected from Sindh while Abdul Malik Kasi, Asadullah Mandokhel and Mir Hassan Domki have been nominated from Balochistan. Fron Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Dr Sania Nishtar and Feroze Jamal Shah Kakakhel have been short listed.
Raja Nadir Pervez leaves PML-N for being denied ticket FAISALABAD INP
Former federal minister for communications and senior PML-N leader Raja Nadir Pervez has announced to leave the party after having been denied party ticket for the National Assembly elections. Addressing a press conference on Sunday, Pervez alleged that Nisar Ali Khan was behind the decision of not giving him the party ticket. He alleged that Nisar was playing the role of Mir Sadiq and Mir Jaffar and distanced Nawaz Sharif from old loyalists. He said he was leaving the PML-N with a broken heart, adding that it was because of Nisar that Javed Hashmi left the party.
Pervez said candidates were being asked to donate a car and give Rs 15 million for a party ticket. He blamed that some people were making money in Faisalabad in return for party tickets. He recounted his services for the PML-N and Sharifs, saying he was one of the 18 MNAs who confronted the QLeague government in difficult times and kept the party united. He said he was one of those who carried the coffins of Mian Sharif when people were hesitant to attend his funeral. The former federal minister said he would neither join Musharraf’s party nor any other and would contest the elections independently if the people of Faisalabad wanted him to.
Women enter the political roost in KP, FATA OnCe bArred FrOm vOtIng, 11 wOmen geAr-up tO bAttle heAvyweIghtS thrOughOut kp And FAtA PESHAWAR SHAMIM SHAHID
Contrary to tradition, female contestants on general seats in the upcoming polls appear to be on the rise in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as at least four candidates have been nominated by their respective political parties while several others are contesting in their independent capacity. In what is a significant shift, for the first time in the history of Federally Administrative Tribal Area (FATA), a female candidate has filed nomination forms from NA-44 Bajaur Agency. Tribesmen in FATA had been granted adult franchise on the eve of the 1997 general election, and this time round political parties are pitching candidates for the National Assembly (NA). Three female candidates nominated on
general seats have already served in the previous parliament but on reserved seats. These included former MNAs Khurshid Begum, Shazia Aurangzeb and Syeda Batool Nasra. The other eight women contesting on general seats are new entrants in KP’s electoral politics. Instead of opting to be an ANP nominee on women reserved seats for the NA, Khurshid Begum is contesting from NA-14. A lawyer by profession, she would face strong candidates like Pir Delawar Shah of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Malik Asad of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) among others. Having switched her loyalties from PMLN to PPP, Shazia Aurangzeb is going to contest from NA-9, Mardan-1. In the previous Parliament, she was member of the KP Assembly on reserved seats from PML-N. In NA-9, Shazia shall take on a bevy of candidates with daunting credentials, such as former chief minister Amir Haider Khan Hoti of the Awami National Party (ANP), ex-federal minister Khwaja Mohammad Khan Hoti of the PML-N and Maulana Shujaul Mulk of Jamiat-e-Ulema-eIslam-Fazl (JUI-F). A vocal parliamentarian in the KP legislature, Shazia has in addition, been named as one of the PPP candidates on reserved seats for women in KP.
Former JUI-F MPA Syeda Batool Nasra has been nominated by the PML-N from PK-68 Dera Ismail Khan. She has had a berth in the KP Assembly since 2002, though on women’s quota. This time around however, she is contesting from a general seat, and would be facing ANP’s influential Syed Mureed Kazim, who has already won three times from this constituency. Awami Workers Party (AWP) KP Women Wing President Ayesha Israr also submitted her nomination papers to contest from the constituency NA-1, Peshawar-1. She shall be competing for votes with old political stalwarts such as Ghulam Ahmed Bilour (ANP), Shabbir Ahmed Khan (JI), Azam Afridi (PPP) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan. She has also submitted nomination forms for a women’s quota seat. In Charsada, the contest between ANP and the recently established Quami Watan Party (QWP) is an embodiment of political vendetta. QWP chief Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao has pitted Najma Zeb, widow of the ex-MPA Alamzeb Omarzai, against ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan on NA-7 Charsada. Since 1990, Sherpao has created alliances to take on ANP in its stronghold. So far however, there is no hint of an alliance making the contest a one-sided affair. A close aide to Sherpao, Alamzeb Omarzai
was killed a couple of years ago and ANP leader Bashir Omarzai, along with his sons, was charged for his murder. On the other hand, ANP has nominated young Taimoor Khan against on the constituency NA-8, Charsada-2. In Lower Dir, which is adjacent to Bajaur Agency in FATA, Nusrat Begum has filed nomination papers from NA-34. She intends to contest polls on a PTI ticket in a region politically dominated by Jamaat-eIslami (JI). In Bajaur, Badam Zari – a housewife – has filed nomination papers on NA-44. The PPP’s Akhunzada Chattan was elected MNA from this constituency in the previous general elections. Other women hailing from KP who have filed nomination papers are; journalist Aneela Shaheen from NA-4 Peshawar, Dilbara Yousafzai from PK-15 Nowshehra, Asma Mehmood from NA-32 and PK-89 Chitral and Guldana Bibi from PK-69 Tank. Whatever the outcome of the forthcoming general elections might be, women picking up the electoral gauntlet in an unprecedented show in KP and FATA is definitely a deviation from norms. Not so long ago, women were barred from exercising their right to vote in a maledominated tribal contest.