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‘Bankrupt’ Pak Punjab Govt. has no money to pay salaries to employees: PML-Q

June 4, 2010 By vani Leave a Comment

Lahore, Jun.4 (ANI): The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has launched a blistering attack on the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) in Punjab, blaming it for ruining the province’s finances to such an extent that it doesn’t even have money to pay salaries to its employees.

Addressing a press conference here, senior PML-Q leader and former chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi blamed incumbent chief minister Shabaz Sharif for the “total administrative and financial collapse of the province.”

Elahi tabled a white paper on, what he called the “black deeds” of the Punjab government, saying that on May 30, the government had only 420 million rupee in its account.

“It (provincial government) sought the federal government’s help, which enabled it pay salaries by transferring money to its account on the last day of the month. That is how a surplus, in every sense of the word, province has been turned into a bankrupt federating unit all because of lack of vision, egotist policies and sheer incapability of Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif,” The Dawn quoted Elahi, as saying.

The former chief minister also blamed ruling Members of Provincial Assembly (MPA’s) of being involved in various crimes committed across the province.

“In the last two years, crime has gone up by 48 per cent, which is a matter of official record. All kinds of heinous crimes are being committed with impunity and ruling MNAs and MPAs are involved in such crimes. Extra judicial killings have also gone up. The police budget is multiplying along with the crime rate,” Elahi said. (ANI)

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PML-N moves privilege motion against Zardari

September 17, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Sep 16 (ANI): The Pakistan Muslim League-N has moved a privilege motion in the National Assembly (NA) against the statement of President Asif Ali Zardari on giving the safe passage to the former president Pervez Musharraf.

The motion signed by 91 MNAs has been brought by Hanif Abbasi, Dr. Tariq Fazal and Anjum Aqeel, the NA Members of the PML-N.

It may be recalled that opposition leader in NA, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan had announced to move a motion against Zardari the previous day, and demanded Zardari to present all the aspects of the deal – regarding Pervez Musharraf – in front of the nation and Parliament.

Earlier in the day, contradicting media reports over indemnity being granted to Musharraf, Zardari’s spokesman has said that there have been no negotiations with the so-called international guarantors to give indemnity to the former president.

In a statement, Farhatullah Babar said the President Zardari in an informal talk on Monday with reporters had remarked that national political leaders and parties had held negotiations among themselves to chase Musharraf out of office and restore Presidency to the democratic forces.

In the talk with journalists there was no mention of negotiations with the so-called national or international guarantors to give immunity to Musharraf subsequent to his exit, he said.

Zardari’s remarks of negotiations among national political parties to strategise the sacking of Musharraf have unfortunately been distorted and misrepresented as talks with so called guarantors for indemnity to Musharraf, Dawn quoted Babar, as saying.

He said no one denied the holding of negotiations among national political parties to drive Musharraf out of office.

Babar said it was the result of these negotiations that the national parliament and all provincial assemblies adopted resolutions calling upon Musharraf to quit.

It was also the result of these negotiations that the parties joined hands in preparing a comprehensive and historic charge sheet to impeach Musharraf in case he refused to quit, he said.

There was nothing new in Zardari’s remarks about negotiations among political parties to force Musharraf out of office, except for the distortion and spin now given to it, Babar added.

Babar said the noise and din raised over the alleged remarks wrongly attributed to the President is part of the campaign to discredit Zardari for anything and everything that goes wrong. (ANI)

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Ex-spy says former Pak IB chief wanted to file high treason cases against Benazir, two others

August 28, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Aug.28 (ANI): After the recent outbursts of Brigadier (retired) Imtiaz, another officer of Pakistan’s intelligence services has revealed that the former IB director-general had planned to register high treason cases against Benazir Bhutto, Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan, Salmaan Taseer and Masood Sharif.

Rana Abdul Baqi, who had served under former IB director-general Masood Sharif and retired as senior director, in an exclusive interview with The News, disclosed that Brigadier Imtiaz wanted to try Benazir Bhutto and three others because they leaked secret tapes to an Indian journalist and got it published in India Today.

According to Baqi, the tapes which were leaked contained conversations between MNAs and Brigadier Imtiaz and Major Amir, and also included classified information about training camps of the Army and other strategic security information which may still be classified.

“In 1991, after completing medical leave, I reported at the IB headquarters and started waiting for my next posting, as I was previously working as personal staff officer to IB director-general Masood Sharif. One day, Brigadier Imtiaz called me in his office because he was upset with the episode of Salmaan Taseer, who had conducted a press conference against the architects of ‘Operation Midnight Jackal’ and India Today had also published some extracts of those secret tapes. The brigadier asked me how did Salmaan Taseer get those tapes? “He (Taseer) is an agent of RAW and India Today got those tapes through Taseer.” “Brigadier Imtiaz alleged according to his information Taseer got those tapes through me.”

“According to my sources, Masood Sharif and Benazir Bhutto got those tapes from you,” Brigadier Imtiaz blamed me, adding: “Benazir Bhutto gave those tapes to Taseer.” Imtiaz added apart from Benazir Bhutto and Salmaan Taseer, Aitzaz Ahsan was also present there and in his presence these tapes were handed over to Taseer.

“I want to initiate high treason case against these four because they have handed over classified national secrets to India and you (Rana Abdul Baqi) would become approver in the case and you would admit that these secret tapes were handed over to Taseer in your presence.

“I told Brig Imtiaz that I do not know Benazir Bhutto, Aitzaz Ahsan and Salmaan Taseer personally and I can not give any sort of false evidence. I was offered promotion by Brig Imtiaz and upon my refusal I was threatened of severe consequences and an inquiry was lodged against me and I was accused of leaking those secret tapes.”

“I told Brig Imtiaz that three sets of these tapes were prepared each containing 12 cassettes. One was sent to the Military Intelligence director-general; one to the Prime Minister Secretariat and the third was kept in IB director-general’s office. I don’t know how Taseer got those tapes. Brig Imtiaz constituted a committee to discuss my involvement in handing those tapes to Taseer.

Brig Imtiaz’s committee comprised Air Commodore Khalilullah Ghauri, Col Bashir Wali, who has remained IB director-general and Major Salim Khan.

The committee inquired from me and I gave a ten-page reply on how these tapes were distributed. The Army men took the last copy of these cassettes which was at IB director-general’s office and a receipt was also given of that episode.

“The committee exonerated me after getting satisfactory answers. Commodore Khalilur Rehman Ghauri told me Brig Imtiaz wanted to initiate high treason cases against Benazir Bhutto, Aitzaz Ahsan and Masood Sharif. I was asked to be careful as Brig Imtiaz could be dangerous. I only said I will not give any false evidence.” (ANI)

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Gilani shrugs off Pak’s economic hardship, doubles MNA’s fund

July 1, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Peshawar, June 30 (ANI): In the times when Pakistan is facing severe economic hardships, the country’s Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has given a whopping windfall to all the lower house members by doubling their annual development fund to 20 million rupees.

He gave no reason for the hike, and made a single sentence announcement before the 19-day budget session.

“I announce to double the MNAs’ fund of one crore rupees,” the Dawn quoted Gilani, as telling the National Assembly on Tuesday.

It was not immediately clear if the 100 per cent increase in the fund would apply also to the 100 members of the Senate, who until now had been on a par with their lower house counterparts for these allocations.

The practice, continuing since late 1980s, has often been described by critics as a kind of political bribe to lawmakers.

However, former PM Shaukat Aziz stopped giving funds to the opponents of military president Pervez Musharraf.

Although the hike was greeted with desk-thumping from both ruling coalition and opposition, many questions are likely to be raised about the jurisdiction of such a move by Gilani when Pakistan was facing financial stringency.

The new move was neither mentioned by the government in the fiscal budget nor was it asked for in budget debates. (ANI)

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Zardari says military offensive in Malakand will continue

June 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, June 30 (ANI): Pakistan President Asif Ali Zardari has said the military offensive in the Malakand division would continue until militants are completely eliminated from the region.

“Either the militants have to lay down arms, give up militancy and accept state’s authority or they have to be exterminated. Let there be no doubt or mistake about it,” the Dawn quoted Zardari, as saying.

Addressing MNAs and Senators of the Pakistan People’s Party, Zardari paid tribute to soldiers and personnel of law-enforcement agencies for their courage and heroism.

“Success in the war against militancy was due to the valour of our forces on the one hand and the sagacity and wisdom of parliament and political parties on the other for lending political support to it,” he said.

Zardari also praised the internally displaced persons for rendering a great sacrifice for the cause of the country.

“I assure speedy return of displaced people and their rehabilitation,” he said.

On the proposed constitutional amendments and repealing of the controversial 17th amendment that gives undemocratic powers to the president, he said the party was keen to democratise the Constitution by removing anti- democratic clauses.

Zardari said a 27-member parliamentary committee had been set up comprising representatives of political parties and federating units to make recommendations for amendments to articles. (ANI)

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Pak MNAs’ demand ISI briefing on Taliban surge

April 24, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Apr.24 (ANI): The political fraternity in Pakistan is worried about reports of the Taliban moving closer to Islamabad.

Members of the National Assembly have demanded that the on-going session of the house be extended and a summons be issued to Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Director General (DG) Lt. Gen. Shuja Pasha to brief members about the actual situation on ground.

“The international media is reporting that the Taliban are just 60 kilometres from Islamabad. The government should summon the DG ISI to brief the House on the ground realities and on developments on the Swat peace deal,” PML-N Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said.

The Pakistan People’e Party also said there is a need to find out who is behind the insurgents nefarious aims.

“The centre of gravity was not Swat. Swat is a peripheral issue. The real problem is the people who are encouraging these Taliban,” The Daily Times quoted PPP Information Secretary Fauzia Wahab, as saying.

Wahab dispelled fears about the Taliban taking over Islamabad.

She said that a political consensus over the issue should be seen as a positive development for the country. (ANI)

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People question Pak Army’s lack of willingness to act in Swat

January 30, 2009 By admin Leave a Comment

Islamabad, Jan 30 (ANI): People of the Swat Valley have expressed their reservations about the ongoing Pakistan Army operation against militants, as they see a lack of willingness on the part of the state to curb militancy.

The intelligentsia, particularly the Pakhtun intelligentsia, now holds this perception. They contend that if the state’s military can stand up to the third largest Indian Army, how can it not handle an internal insurgency carried out by a few thousand armed men?”

Five thousand terrorists are fighting 20,000 troops, a leading Islamabad based daily said in its lead editorial.

The ANP government in the NWFP has been complaining bitterly over the quality of defence offered to it against terrorists within its own jurisdiction in Swat and in the federally administered neighbouring agency of Khyber, the Daily Times said.

The MNAs and MPAs who have been forced to flee Swat have been speaking with great acerbity about how the people of Swat have been delivered on a platter to Fazlullah’s men.

Army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani visited the troops in Swat on Thursday and told them that the “Pakistan Army has the will and the resolve to defeat terrorists, restore peace and establish the writ of the state in violence-hit areas.”

He was putting the stamp of his authority on the third phase of Operation Rah-e-Haq against the Taliban led by warlord Fazlullah. The message to the troops was no doubt also intended for the rest of the country and for the world community.

The visit came in the wake of a statement made by the Interior Adviser Rehman Malik promising the ouster of the terrorists from Swat “in fifteen days”.

The statement ran the risk of being treated as a meaningless hyperbole since he had earlier promised a similar “solution” to the sectarian mayhem of Parachinar “in 15 days” and not delivered. (ANI)

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