News From Pakistan

[+]SC moved for trial of Musharraf, 480 others
      Tuesday, September 08, 2009

ISLAMABAD: A constitutional petition was filed on Monday in the Supreme Court, praying to order trial of 481 persons, including former president Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf and former prime minister Shaukat Aziz on charges of high treason. The petition, filed by Engineer Muhammad Jameel, Chairman of the Pakistan Communist Party, under Article 184(3) of the Constitution, contended that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had struck a deal with the former military dictator and his accomplices, and was thus avoiding proceedings against them under Article 6 of the Constitution.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Reshuffle in bureaucracy:All provinces get representation
      Tuesday, September 08, 2009

ISLAMABAD: For the first time in the country’s history, a government in Islamabad has made promotions of senior civil servants to the plum positions of grade-22, giving representation to officers from all the federating units, raising criticism from the Punjab-dominated vested interests. Moreover, while making promotions to the federal service’s top grade, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has selected civil servants from all different services, including 19 from the DMG, 14 from the Secretariat Group, seven from police, five from Foreign Service, one from Information Service and four from the Audit and Accounts Group. Sources say the prime minister had made it clear that civil servants belonging to all four provinces in addition to Azad Kashmir and Northern Areas should get representation in Islamabad’s top hierarchy. It was also seen that civil servants belonging to both urban and rural areas of Sindh find their way to grade-22.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Sugar millers owners should abide by court orders on sugar: Watto
      Tuesday, September 08, 2009

ISLAMABAD: Minister for Industries Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo said Tuesday that sugar millers should abide by High Court orders on sugar, if production cost falls below Rs40/kg whereas Sugar Mills Association President Sikander Khan said that High Court’s ruling is impracticable and they are willing to face the charges of the contempt of court in this regard. In a meeting of Senate Standing Committee on Food and Agriculture the Minister of Industries stated that High Court’s decision on sugar should be followed. “Government is taking care of the people, however sugar mills too belong to Pakistan and not to any hostile state.” Manzoor Wattoo said the Cabinet would hold a special meeting on sugar crisis, in which the Ministry of Industries will give a briefing on the issue.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]24 more militants killed in Khyber Agency
      Tuesday, September 08, 2009

BARA: Twenty-four more militants were killed during the ongoing operation here in Khyber Agency.According to FC sources the operation was carried out in Zao and Qamar Khel of Tehsil Bara. Two militants’ hideouts and as many of their vehicles were also destroyed, FC sources added.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Thousands of civilians flee Khyber Agency
      Monday, September 07, 2009

PESHAWAR: Thousands of civilians are fleeing the latest military operation against insurgents in northwestern Khyber tribal region, a government official said on Sunday. Pakistan is under intense US pressure to crack down on insurgents along its border with Afghanistan, especially the lawless tribal belt where al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden is suspected to be hiding. The US believes militants use Pakistan’s tribal areas as safe havens from which to plan attacks on Western troops across the frontier. Khyber is of particular concern because militants frequently attack trucks along the famed Khyber Pass, a main route for supplies destined for US troops in Afghanistan. The military destroyed two training centers and 15 militant homes on Sunday, paramilitary troops said. One militant was killed and nine more taken into custody, a written statement from the paramilitary force said, adding that two people kidnapped by militants had also been recovered. The region is largely off-limits to journalists, making it difficult to verify the information independently.Farooq Khan, a government official in Khyber, said hundreds of families had been fleeing the region since authorities relaxed a curfew on Friday.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Sherpao asks govt to restore writ in Malakand
      Monday, September 07, 2009

PESHAWAR: Army has played its role and now it is the government’s responsibility to restore the civil administration in Malakand Division, especially in Swat Valley, said Aftab Sherpao here on Sunday.The chief of his own faction of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP-S) said the military operation was a part of the larger operation but the real job was complete establishment of civilian administration, restoration of infrastructure and revival of economy and, above all, rebuilding people’s confidence that needed political role by the government. He was speaking at a news conference to welcome into the PPP-S fold Zulfiqar Khan of Nowshera along with his supporters. Sherpao said the government should take local elders into confidence for restoration of its writ and rehabilitation of the affected people. Not only the internally displaced persons (IDPs) but also those who opted to stay in the affected areas and suffered losses should be compensated, he said.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]PHC, BHC judges to take oath today
      Monday, September 07, 2009

PESHAWAR: Seven newly elevated judges of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) will take oath of office today (Tuesday), official sources said.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Malakand students want
      Monday, September 07, 2009

PESHAWAR: The students of Intermediate Part-I of the restive Malakand Division have expressed concern over holding of the examination for them despite the government announcement to give them one-step promotion and said this would result in wastage of their one academic year.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Provinces dismayed at prospects of less share in FDP
      Monday, September 07, 2009

ISLAMABAD: The Centre has dashed the hopes of the federating units for more share in the Federal Divisible Pool (FDP), saying 60 per cent of all the financial resources, including revenues and foreign and domestic loans, are utilised in debt servicing, catering to the defence needs and allocation for the Public Sector Development Programme (PSDP) to alleviate poverty. The expenditure of 60 per cent of the total resources is unavoidable, and the federation is bound to repay loan and interest on time. Since compromise on the defence needs is not possible, so the federal government has to provide the required funds for defence expenditures. In addition, to erase poverty and despondency, it is also essential to allocate a sizeable amount for the development expenditure. The Federation came up with these views in the second subcommittee meeting of the NFC, headed by the federal finance secretary and comprising four provincial secretaries, which met here the other day to discuss the issue of vertical distribution of finance resources between the Centre and the provinces.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)

[+]Qaim regrets Centre’s attitude towards GST issue
      Monday, September 07, 2009

KHAIRPUR: Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah Jillani, while elaborating Sindh’s stance during the National Finance Commission (NFC) meeting, on Sunday regretted the centre’s attitude over the issue of general sales tax (GST) on services.Talking to reporters here at Daraza Sharif after inaugurating the two-day Urs celebration of Hazrat Sachal Sarmast (RA), the chief minister said his government had made it clear that the GST was a provincial subject and asked the Centre to let the provinces collect the GST and take it out of the NFC terms of reference, adding that Sindh’s stand on multiple criteria-based NFC had also got the support of the majority. Qaim hoped a consensus NFC Award would be declared at the end of the day, saying the sub-committees thus formed had been making headway.He lauded the PPP government for taking up the NFC Award, which had been elusive so far and scared the previous governments for 13 years. He also dismissed reports of baton-charge on people at distribution centres of subsidised flour, blaming impatient people for the mismanagement. He urged the people to remain calm as his government was committed to providing people flour at Rs 10 per kg.

(Courtesy Daily The News, Pakistan)