Rangers to retain powers for 60 days
Russia to start building 2 nuclear reactors in Iran TEHRAN—Russia will start the construction of two nuclear reactors in Iran from next week, the spokesman for the Iranian atomic agency said on Tuesday. It comes a year after Tehran signed a contract with Moscow to build two reactors at the existing Russian-built Bushehr power plant in southern Iran. Work on the two reactors “will commence next week”, the state television website quoted Behrouz Kamalvandi as saying. A series of agreements signed between the two countries last year foresees eventually increasing the total number of Russian-built reactors in the country to nine. The start of construction follows a historic deal between Iran and world powers in July that ends a decade-long standoff over Tehran’s nuclear programme. The accord does not limit Iran’s development of civilian nuclear sites. Construction of the two reactors will be bankrolled by Iran, Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom, said last year.—AFP
Top mily leadership resolves to end terrorism LIAQAT TOOR RAWALPINDI—All military leaders resolved on Tuesday to continue operations to eliminate terrorism and help government fight extremism This resolve was expressed during the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (JCSC) Meeting held at Joint Staff Headquarters with General Rashad Mahmood, Chairman of JCSC in the chair. General Raheel Sharif, Chief of Army Staff, Admiral Muhammad Zakaullah, Chief of Naval Staff, Air Chief Marshal Sohail Aman, Chief of Air Staff and senior military officers from the triservices attended the meeting. The forum reviewed the progress made in the ongoing Operation Zarb-e-Azb and lauded the sacrifices and contributions made by Armed Forces. General Rashad Mahmood appreciated Armed Forces for securing the confidence of people by successfully fighting terrorism. Issues pertaining to national security and emerging regional geostrategic environment were also dilated upon. The participants expressed satisfaction over the standard of preparedness of Armed Forces to take on internal and external challenges. At the end, the forum reaffirmed the resolve of Armed Forces to respond to entire spectrum of threat in the most befitting manner as per comprehensive security strategy.
Today’s issue of Pakistan Observer carries a 1-Page Special Report on Japanese Emperor’s Birthday on Page 11.
Yet another feather in Shahbaz’ cap
................................................ Gas to become scarce and dearer ................................................ US bombers flight over Chinese Islands
See Page 04
Qaim’s letter rejected; Sindh govt can’t limit federal institutional powers, says Interior Ministry STAFF REPORTER ISLAMABAD—After much deliberations the Inte-
KARACHI: Rangers on their way to conduct a search operation in a troublesome area of the metropolis. (file photo)
Dr Asim jailed on judicial remand Rangers seek SHC action against DSP Altaf IRFAN ALIGI
missed police investigation report in which the police investigation officer DSP Altaf Hussain had mentioned that he had found no evidences against Dr Asim Hussain and hence he has decided to release the accused under section 494 (II) of the Criminal Procedure Code, which the ATC rejected by establishing that the Investigation Officer did not have the authority to release any accused. Earlier, Sindh government had changed the public prosecutor after the previous one had complained to the Sindh High Court that he was being pressurized by Sindh government and could be removed in case he would not comply with the
Sindh government’s instruction in Dr Asim Hussain’s case. The accused Dr Asim Hussain had informed the ATC that the investigators of the NAB and other security forces had interrogated him more than 18 times and hence no further investigation should be allowed. Meanwhile, the Rangers have filed a petition in the Sindh High Court seeking action against the police investigator DSP Altaf Hussain. The Rangers have stated that the police investigator DSP Altaf Hussain had on his own released the accused ignoring concrete evidences against the accused and he submitted a report to justify release of the
Fear of terror spillover to cities held me back: Kayani
Non-bailable arrest warrants for Altaf, 20 other MQM leaders
KARACHI—The Antiterrorism Court (ATC) II jailed Dr Asim Hussain on a judicial remand until December 30. The National accountability Bureau (NAB) had demanded a 90day detention of the accused Dr Asim Hussain, which the accused opposed saying that he had already served a detention for 120 days and hence he should now be jailed on judicial remand, which the ATC accepted. Dr Asim Hussain was produced in the ATC-II on Tuesday after the administrative Judge of the ATC Justice Naimatullah Phulpoto had dis-
ISLAMABAD—Former Pakistani army chief General (retd.) Ashfaq Parvez Kayani said on Tuesday Operation against militants could not be started in North Waziristan during his tenure and the reason for not conducting operation was the fear that terrorism might spillover to the settled areas of the country. The former COAS in an interview to a Saudi Arabia based newspaper stated “Banned TTP’s fighters fled to Afghanistan’s Nuristan and Kunar provinces,” adding that desired objectives could not be achieved in war against terror-
ism as militants fled the tribal areas and hid into Afghanistan. However, according to the former army chief, Pakistan Army and Rangers are still on the hit-list of the militants. Facilitators and sympathisers of militants have infiltrated in major cities of the country particularly the coastal city Karachi, he added. The former army chief said Indian Intelligence Agency RAW has established a huge network near Jalalabad, Afghanistan, where young boys kidnapped from Pakistan and Afghanistan are being recruited
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STAFF REPORTER KARACHI—An Anti-Terrorism Court here issued non-bailable warrants for the arrest of 25 senior leaders of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in a case registered against them for facilitating Altaf Hussain’s July 12 speech critical of the military establishment. The MQM leaders were named in different FIRs by private complainants who alleged that the named persons
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No note above Rs5000 value: SBP AMANULLAH KHAN KARACHI—The State Bank of Pakistan has no intention to issue currency notes higher than Rs5000 denomination, said SBP Governor Ashraf Mahmood Wathra on the sidelines of launching fresh videos and mobile App regarding security features of the currency notes here this morning. Like elsewhere in the world the market is still dominated by cash transactions where effective check on counterfeiting of currency is note is of vital importance through creating
awareness among the general public about the security features of the bank notes. It may be noted that currency notes circulation are increasing all around the world including Japan where annual average growth in money circulation is 1.87 percent, us 6.51 percent China 16.7 percent, South Africa 9.61 percent Malaysia 9.4 percent Australia 7.9 percent and Pakistan 14.7 percent. In order to check counterfeiting of currency notes, steps are being taken such as strengthen-
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China’s Urban uplift vision BEIJING—China has detailed its urban planning vision, which has been designed to make its sprawling cities more inclusive, safer and better places to live. In a statement released after the Central Urban Work Conference, which ran from Dec. 20 to Dec. 21 and was attended by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang, policymakers pledged to transform urban development patterns and improve city management. The last time China held such a high-level meeting was in 1978, when only 18 percent of the population lived in cities. By the end of 2011, in excess of 50 percent of the population called the city their home. While the “triumph of the city,” which characterized the past decades, has brought about significant social and economic changes
in China, it has also spawned problems such as traffic jams, air and water pollution and a stretched public safety network. On Tuesday, 40 cities in north China had issued alerts for air pollution. Beijing, together with the cities of Baoding, Handan, Langfang and Xingtai in the neighboring province of Hebei, had issued red alerts, the most serious level of the four-tier warning system. Such urban ills have provoked the ire of the public, putting pressure on city planners to find workable solutions. The Central Urban Work Conference said livable cities should be the central goal of China’s urban planning, and urban development should be focused on creating environments where people can live in harmony with each other and nature.—Xihua
accused. The ATC had rejected the report of DSP Altaf Hussain and ordered for producing the accused Dr Asim Hussain in ATC after arresting him.
rior Ministry gave a 60-day extension in the special policing powers of Rangers in Sindh, after a meeting at the ministry chaired by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Tuesday. The summary sent to the federal government by Sindh government on the matter of extending Ranger’s policing powers was earlier rejected. A letter was issued to the Sindh government in this regard, instructing it to draft a new summary regarding the matter without posting any conditions. “The provincial assembly does not reserve the authority to amend the federal laws,” the interior ministry said in a statement. This decision was taken at a meeting chaired by Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali khan at Punjab House. The meeting was held to discuss the implications in the said summary and devise the further course of action by interior ministry in this regard. During the meeting, the summary regarding the extension in authority of the Pakistan Rangers was thoroughly discussed. “It is not possible to limit the authority of any law-enforcing agency,” the interior ministry stated, adding that the power to limit the special powers of Rangers is reserved only by the Federal government. Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had earlier signed the summary to ‘conditionally’ extend the special powers of Pakistan Rangers in the
province for 60 days and moved the summary to the interior ministry. In the contents of the letter sent to the Sindh government, it has been stated that Pakistan Rangers is working under the Anti-Terrorism Act and that Rangers’ powers cannot be limited without amending the Act. The letter further says that in order to limit the powers of Rangers, an amendment in the Anti-Terrorism Act is mandatory. It said the Pakistan Rangers is bound to work as per the Act and, therefore, its powers cannot be limited. Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah, expressing his dismay over two-month extension in powers of Rangers in Sindh, has said that such unilateral decision without consulting the Chief Minister Qaim Ali Shah will not be in favour of Pakistan Muslim League-N. Reacting to the decision of the Interior Ministry regarding extension in Rangers powers in Sindh for further two months under Terrorism Act, Khurshid Shah said that such an approach of the federal government towards small provinces is totally unjustified. He said federal government should enforce whatever it desires, but warned of dire consequences of such decision in future. The Opposition leader in NA lashed out at Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali for not making any contact with Qaim Ali Shah to inform him about the development, seek his opinion and hold discussion prior to announcing extension in Rangers’ power in the province led by him.