Rana Sanaluahh criticizes MQM, PTI and JI

SAMAA
LAHORE: In a scathing attack, Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah said that MQM is a name of mafia, not any political party. 

Speaking to reporters here on Tuesday, he said Karachi will soon be freed from the MQM. 

To a question, Sanaullah said that Syed Munawar Hasan is the Gorbachev (a former USSR statesman) of Jamaat-e-Islam (JI).

He said that Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Imran Khan has nothing to do with politics and that he should do charity work only.

VIP protection: CM’s office security bolstered at Rs12m cost

Tribune

Rs373 million spent on security of top functionaries since Dec 2007.

LAHORE: The police department is set to install additional equipment worth Rs12 million to beef up security at the chief minister’s camp office in Raiwind.

The decision has been taken in the wake of the assassination of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer. A summary moved by the Special Branch has been approved by the provincial finance department.

The sanctioned equipment includes two vehicle scanners, two CCTV networks with 40 cameras, 25 sets of walkie-talkies, 12 searchlights, a sound system, two blow-horns, 10 cabins, a sniffer dog and a moveable picket.

The Punjab government has spent Rs373 million since December 2007 on security upgrades for VIPs.

An official said most of the equipment purchased  previously was for 41-S Defence Housing Authority and 180-H Model Town (CM’s camp office and residence). He said that installation of similar equipment at the chief minister’s residence in Raiwind was because it has been declared his camp office.

“A Special Branch team will be deployed at the Raiwind office to monitor security arrangements around the clock,” he added.

He said that currently 248 Elite Force personnel were deployed for the security of the Sharif family. Of these, he said, 71 were with Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif, including 58 at his Raiwind residence, 55 with Nawaz Sharif, 24 with Hamza Shahbaz, seven with Salman Shahbaz, six with Capt (retd) Safdar Mehmood, nine with Imran Yousaf (Shahbaz’nephew) and 10 with the chief minister’s first wife. Eight Elite Force officials were deployed at the Gulberg residence of Shahbaz’s other wife, he added.

Another police official seeking anonymity said that the police department was facing a shortage of funds and that police officials on other than VIP duty were mostly using outdated weapons.

In December 2008, the police department imported security equipment worth Rs250 million, including heavy-duty IED jammers, walk-through gates (with photo recording facility), conventional gates with wooden carry boxes, bomb locators/mine detectors, hand-held metal detectors, bomb defusing blankets, defusing bin, bullet-proof jackets, bullet-proof rostrum, CCTV cameras and bottom-view mirrors with night-sight facility.

In December 2007, the provincial government provided Rs111 million for the purchase of 621 items. These included four Toyota Land Cruisers and four heavy-duty IED jammers, 23 walk-through gates (with photo recording facility), 90 conventional gates with wooden carry boxes, 30 bomb locators/mine detectors, 340 hand held metal detectors and 130 bottom-view mirrors with night sight facility.

Of these, 80 were handed to the Directorate of Civil Defence, 13 to Services and General Administration Department (S&GAD) and remaining 528 remained with the police department.

Nawaz pushed MQM to the wall, says Musharraf

The News


Nawaz Support Haqiqi against MQM and use gangs against MQM : Musharraf


LONDON: Pervez Musharraf has alleged that Pakistan Muslim League leader Nawaz Sharif can be blamed for today's gory situation in Karachi, for he had ignored the military's advice and tried to corner the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (Altaf faction).

Speaking at the launch of his party's London chapter here Saturday, Musharraf, a globe-trotter who is avoiding to enter Pakistan as he faces opposition from the government as well as political and religious parties, said he had advised Nawaz Sharif against his policy of cornering the Altaf-led MQM, but Nawaz Sharif didn't pay heed to his words of caution and pushed the party against the wall and thought that the original MQM's breakaway faction, known as MQM-Haqiqi, would prevail.

I had advised against the policy of encouraging gang warfare in Karachi, but my advice was not acted upon, said Musharraf.

Musharraf said that ill-conceived policy bred a lot of resentment and today's situation in Karachi can be seen in that context.

Answering questions by The News, he lashed out Sharif brothers and called them closet supporters of extremism and sectarian groups and said both cannot be differentiated as none of them were taking any stand against extremism and hard-line forces.

Musharraf challenged Sharif brothers to make their stand clear on extremism and come clean on it and alleged that they retained links with dubious people and groups in Jhang. He said he knew from the beginning that Nawaz Sharif and his party were just scoring political points when they put the government on ultimatum.

"They (PML-N) have stakes in this system, and they will never destabilise this setup because it suits them. They bluff, huff and puff when they issue ultimatums and statements, it doesn't mean anything, other than political grandstanding," he said in reference to PML-N policies at the national level.

Musharraf said Salman Taseer's murder showed Pakistani society is polarized, and hysteria ruled the national discourse. He said blasphemy law is a necessity, and it should be seen in the rationale perspective, but there was an urgent need to stop its misuse and the element within the law that allowed the miscarriage of justice must be revisited and amended. He said he had amended the Hudood laws and made some changes in the blasphemy law itself to tighten it up but conceded that more needs to be done.

He called for a strict punishment for Mumtaz Qadri, Salman Taseer's killer, who fired 27 bullets in the governor's neck and was garlanded by right-wingers.

"Punishment is the sole responsibility of the State. Mumtaz Qadri should be punished because he challenged the writ of the government," Musharraf demanded.

Musharraf said he was continuing with his lecture to parties and think tanks in Europe and elsewhere and was happy that Diaspora Pakistanis were flocking to his party.

Mushararf denied ever telling Hamid Mir, famous Geo political show host, that he would like to kill Altaf Hussain if ever he found the exiled MQM leader.

"Hamid Mir has never said any good thing about me. I cannot trust him. I have met Altaf Hussain many times, and we have been on fine terms."

PML-N 45 days dead-line for the Government

The Nation
PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif forming a four member committee to overlook the implementation of 10 point agenda by the government in 45 days said that he had given no ultimatum to the government adding that his party does not believe in politics of black mailing and horse trading.

Addressing a press conference here on Monday after meeting of the party Nawaz Sharif said that a four member committee has been constituted which would be headed by Senator Ishaq Dar and would consist of members Sardar Mehtab, Pervez Rashid and Abdul Qadir Baloch. This committee would hand over our 10 point agenda to the government and would overlook the govt progress.

Reiterating the 10 point agenda he said increase in Petroleum prices should be withdrawn which the govt has done. Gas and power load shedding should be brought to an end. Corrupt elements should be replaced with honest ones, Political loan waivers should be reversed. Policy should be made to control escalating prices of every day commodities. All the decisions of the SC should be implemented. Court orders of NRO should be implemented. The size of the cabinet should be reduced and the govt expenditures should be reduced by 30 percent. Govt corporations such as PIA, CAA, PEPCO, PSM, PGDC should be restructured to get rid of corruption and deficits. Hajj Corruption scandal, NFC, BoP scandal should be investigated and culprits be brought to justice.


Nawaz Sharif said that he did not give any ultimatum to the govt as this word does not exist in his dictionary. He said that he sees the word as a sign of arrogance. He said he had simply asked the govt to answer in yes or no.

He said today the country is facing multiple problems it has a fragile economy, law and order situation, poverty, inflation and increasing drone attacks. He said that dictatorship have destroyed our country and now the martial law administrators should not fool the country anymore.

He said PML-N always spoke of unity and we want to help the govt take this country out of crisis through this agenda.

He said that after the implementation of 18th amendment the PM has become a powerful prime minister and he can implement the agenda. He said we would decide our future course of action after 45 days. He said we are ready to support the govt if our agenda is implemented, He said that we have never demanded of mid term elections.

In response to a question he said that the Prime Minister never consulted him on who should be the new Governor Punjab.

PPP accepts PML-N's agenda

Tribune

ISLAMABAD: Prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has phoned Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif and accepted the PML-N’s 10 point agenda for the two parties to work together.

The PPP’s acceptance of the agenda has temporarily ended talks of a political stand-off in Punjab, and the further weakening of the government in the centre. In case of non-implementation of it’s demands, the PML-N had threatened to sack PPP Punjab ministers. The PML-N’s deadline for the PPP-led government to accept its demands was set to end on Monday.

Sharif appreciated the gesture by Prime minister Gilani terming it political maturity. He added that all political forces have realised that being on the same page is better for the country.

PML-N Senator Ishaq Dar will head the party’s monitoring committee which will evaluate the PPP government’s delivery on the PML-N’s demands.

List of demands

The PML-N has welcomed Prime Minister Gilani’s decision to implement their national agenda but has also kept a condition that their demands are acted upon in the next 45 days, otherwise they claim they will quit the government.

The PML-N’s major demands include cutting government’s expenditure by 30 per cent, decreasing the number of ministers in the federal cabinet,  re-establishing the Election Commission. The agenda also seeks a new accountability law which follows the outline drawn up by the PML-N.

The agenda proposed by the PML-N demands accountability of those involved in the sugar scam, Punjab Bank scandal, Pak Steel Mills scam, elimination of corrupt ministers from the cabinet and the imposition of court orders regarding the NRO.

Other points include investigation into Akbar Bugti’s murder, accountability of Pervez Musharraf, the formation of an independent accountability commission and to curb the corruption in the country.

Govt to stay in power even without MQM: PM

Online News

LAHORE: Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that the government will stay in power without MQM, added there is no crisis as PML-N Quaid Nawaz Sharif in favour of democratic system.

Talking to media, PM Gilani said he knew through media about the MQM decision about quitting government and noted that the MQM settled issues with provincial government.

He said that President Asif Ali Zardari was in contact with MQM for discussing the issues and hoped the government would stay in power without the MQM and noted there was no crisis.

Gilani said that he did not mind any statement of Maulana Fazalur Rehman and he received the resignations of the JUI-F.

He made it clear that there would be no amendment in blasphemy law in his government and noted that Sherry Rehman had submitted the bill on her personal capacity.

He said that the prices of petroleum products were increased under the international markets.

Gilani said that he was enjoying cordial ties with Nawaz Sharif as he has own programme and manifesto and hoped that the PML-N Quaid would not harm the democracy as he always demonstrated seriousness.

More than 800 CNG stations closed in Punjab

SAMAA


LAHORE: Thousands of the citizens in Punjab face inconvenience on Tuesday as more than 800 CNG stations in several areas of the province are closed on the second consecutive day.

Under the National Energy Saving Campaign, the Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited (SNGPL) closed all CNG stations of Lahore, Multan, Gujranwala yesterday.

After completion of weekly period of CNG break, all stations will resume supply from Wednesday (tomorrow) morning at 6am.

The gas supply of industrial units of Lahore, Sheikhupura and Sahiwal regions has also been suspended from 6pm yesterday for four days and it will be resumed on December 31, at 6am.

PML-N never takes stand against PPP Govt : Sheikh Rasheed

SAMAA
KARACHI: Chief of Awami Muslim League (AML) Sheikh Rashid Saturday said it seems from the overall situation in the country that the government got caught out at slip. 

Talking to media after a meeting with Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Functional) chief Pir Pagara at Kingri House here, AML chief said the national scenario is not quite satisfactory, adding, ‘Muslim League (Nawaz) never takes stand against the federal government, as they dread the formation of coalition government between Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League (PML-Q) in Punjab.’

It seems Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) is not disposed to quit the coalition government at present, he added.

Imran accuses PML-N of betraying judiciary

The-News


LAHORE: CHAIRMAN Pakistan Tehrik e Insaf (PTI) Imran Khan slated PML-N for stabbing judiciary by voting for the 19th Amendment.

At a meet the press programme held on Friday, he said the independence of judiciary had been clipped due to the passage of 19th Amendment. He the party, which got vote in the name of judiciary, was in forefront in conspiracy against the judiciary. Omar Sarfaraz Cheema, Talat Naqvi and other party leaders were also present there. Imran Khan added the veto power given to the parliamentary committee over appointment of judges wasn’t acceptable for PTI which demanded the Chief Justice of Pakistan to take notice of this controversial clause.He added judiciary wasn’t free and independent, how could it keep check on the corrupt practices of the government.

Imran Khan said whenever the corrupt politicians wanted to hide their corruption, they assumed power. He said it was highly shameful that 61 per cent MPs of Pakistan were not paying taxes; whereas, 9 pc of them paid merely 0.1 million rupees tax. He said he paid Rs 1.8 million in tax this year and his entire property was registered on his name.

He said the politicians in power should declare their assets and demanded of the government to make a law against Bainaami transaction (ostensible) as corruption couldn’t be eliminated from the country unless the people paid taxes honestly. He said minorities were also the part and parcel of Pakistan and PTI opposed all types of discrimination against them.