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The government appeared to take advantage of a drop in global oil prices to once again raise the taxes on petroleum. Had the local decline been in line with international prices, petrol prices would have dropped by about Rs5 per litre from their current price of Rs88.95 per litre.

Instead, the government will allow a reduction in price of Rs1.54, or about 1.7%, with the remainder being covered through an increase in the petroleum levy, which is now Rs10 per litre.

The price of high speed diesel fuel remained unchanged. International price declines dictated a drop of about Rs0.18 per litre, which the government decided not to pass on to consumers and instead raised the tax on diesel by that amount.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2011.

ISTANBUL: Afghanistan and Pakistan have a chance at talks in Istanbul to end the blame game over a series of militant attacks that have deepened their mutual mistrust, officials from the Turkish host government said on Monday.

Presidents of the three countries meet on Tuesday as Afghanistan enters a critical phase in its transition, with the United States (US) planning to pull its combat troops out by the end of 2014, and some Western countries already withdrawing theirs.

Relations between Islamabad and Kabul have been plagued by regular bouts of recriminations during the decade-old Taliban insurgency, with Afghan officials publicly airing suspicions that Pakistani intelligence, Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI), is supporting the Taliban and the Haqqani network, an insurgent group allied to the Taliban.

Noting a deteriorating regional environment, a Turkish official said: “Now is perhaps the time to try to reverse the course.”

“We sense that they have a genuine wish to talk to each other because they realise this trend is not helping either of them,” the official said before the summit of the three presidents, Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai, Pakistan’s Asif Zardari and their Turkish host Abdullah Gul.

There has been a flurry of speculation about drawing the Taliban and Haqqani group into negotiations to end the fighting in Afghanistan.

Underlining suspicions that Islamabad is backing the Taliban, Karzai has said he should be talking to Pakistan in any negotiations.

Significantly, Pakistan’s military chief General Ashfaq Kayani will meet his Afghan counterpart on the sidelines of, what will be, the sixth summit between the three leaders.

The tri-lateral meeting will be followed by a regional conference on Afghanistan to be attended by US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Indian Foreign Minister SM Krishna and their counterparts from France and Germany, among others.

Many Afghans believe Pakistan is supporting the Taliban in order to regain influence in Kabul once Western forces leave.

A war of words escalated after the assassination in Kabul on September 20 of former Afghan president Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was heading a peace commission. Afghan officials believe the suicide attack was ordered by Taliban leaders who, they say, are based in the southwestern Pakistani city of Quetta and that the bomber was Pakistani.

The Haqqani group, which operates within Afghanistan, with a rear base in the Pakistani tribal area of North Waziristan, has been blamed for a string of high profile attacks including one on the US embassy in Kabul in September.

Pakistan has vehemently denied the allegations, and officials accuse Afghanistan of deflecting attention away from its own failures. They have also called on Afghanistan and US forces there to act decisively against anti-Pakistan militants operating from Afghan territory.

Pakistan’s discomfort became more acute when Karzai signed a strategic partnership with India earlier this month, stoking old Pakistani fears of encirclement by unfriendly neighbours on its western and eastern borders.

Turkey, a Muslim member of NATO, hopes both sides will speak frankly at the Istanbul meeting to overcome misunderstandings.

The hosts want to revive some spirit of cooperation with an agreement they hope will be signed in Istanbul.

“We are also hoping to have those two countries sign modest cooperation protocols,” the official said. Details had to be sorted out.

“But we hope to be able to get them into that state of mind,” he said.

The later conference, which will be attended by 14 countries from the region and 13 involved in helping Afghanistan, is also expected to agree on a document that will contain confidence building elements, he said.

No one should question Pakistan’s commitment on the war against terror: Zardari

President Zardari said no one should question Pakistan’s commitment on the war against terror as it has made greater contributions and sacrifices than any other country.

In an interview with the Turkish newspaper Hurriyet‚ published Monday‚ he said Pakistan had sacrificed over 36000 innocent men‚ women, children besides suffering direct economic loss of over $70 billion.

“We also lost our great leader Shaheed Benazir Bhutto,” he added.

On relations with the US, he said “Osama Bin Laden issue is history. Pakistan is looking forward to a new chapter of relations with the US.

“We should look forward into the future and ensure that the militant mindset is defeated. The sooner we stop public criticism, finger pointing at each other, coordinate our resources‚ it will better serve the cause of peace, stability and fight against militancy. Our ties should be based on respect for sovereignty and mutual trust.”

On Karzai’s comments that his country would side with Pakistan if attacked by any other country‚ Zardari said “we should talk about peace and not war. Democracy always favours dialogue over confrontation. Decades ago the world community got together in an unprecedented unity to defeat a rival ideology but abandoned the region leaving us at the mercy of those who are now killing our people. This is a historical fact and the international community owes it to Pakistan to support it in the fight against a militant mindset.”

On relations with Turkey‚ Zardari said “we are one nation living in two states.”

Under the present arrangement‚ visa is not required for diplomatic and official passports holders. “Our eventual goal is a visa free regime for all our citizens and also working to currency swap agreement with Turkey to enhance bilateral trade.”

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court has directed Pakistan Railways (PR) chairman to file references against corrupt officials in the National Accountability Bureau and retrieve property confiscated by land mafia with the administration’s assistance.

A division bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was hearing a suo motu case on delayed payment of pension to old rail employees.

(Read: Problems for pensioners)

Railways Chairman Javed Iqbal assured the court pensioners would receive their dues for October from Tuesday. In line with the court’s directive, he said their pension would be credited to their new bank accounts near their place of residence from December.

Former railways minister Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, who had asked to become a party to the case, contended that Rs1.5 billion was paid in advance to a Chinese company for the repair of 69 locomotives in 2009. The amount has now been allocated for the purchase of 520 new locomotives. “New locomotives were not purchased nor have existing ones been repaired till now.”

He said qualified engineers were sent on forced leave to justify the purchase of new locomotives. “Only 57 locomotives out of 528 are operational.”

Railways Board Secretary Shafiqullah submitted that Sheikh Rasheed wanted to introduce 24 new trains for political mileage. The chief justice remarked, “It is sad to note that we can build tanks and missiles but we cannot repair locomotives.” He directed the PR officials to have the locomotives repaired by in-house engineers instead of hiring people from outside. “Bring the locomotives back on the tracks as soon as possible. Pakistan Railways as an institution has been completely destroyed.”

The court directed the attorney general to request the National Logistics Cell, Heavy Mechanical Complex, Taxila and other institutions to repair the locomotives in the larger national interest. Pointing out corruption in PR, Sheikh Rasheed has alleged that scrap worth Rs1 billion was sold at the rate of Rs23,000 per ton while the going rate was over Rs 50,000 and the case is pending with the Federal Investigation Agency. The case was adjourned till November 10.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2011. 

MIRANSHAH: Three people were killed in a US drone strike in Miranshah area North Waziristan on Monday, said officials.

The drone fired four missiles on a vehicle in the Mubarak Shah area of Miranshah.

On Sunday, a drone strike killed six people and injured two others in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan after firing six missiles at a vehicle and a compound suspected of militant activity.

There has been a string of US drone strikes recently which have killed several high-ranking militants including the brother of a Pakistani Taliban commander along with five others in Azam Warsak, while six more militants were killed in another strike in Hishokhel village.

Under President Barack Obama, the United States has drastically stepped up drone strikes in Pakistan but refuses to discuss them publicly.

Nearly 60 US drone strikes have been reported in Pakistan so far this year, dozens of them since US Navy SEALs killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.

ISLAMABAD /LAHORE: A day after the surprisingly large show put up by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) in Lahore on Sunday, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stressed that it is willing to work with all opposition parties to root out corruption – something that it insists cannot be done by a single political force.

For his part, Imran Khan, the leader of the PTI, has also said that he could consider entering into a dialogue with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif if he declares his complete assets.

The statements by both parties indicate accelerating intrigue in Pakistan politics – particularly in its largest province, the Punjab.

“No single political party can steer the country out of crisis and if the opposition agrees on one point of saving the country, working together is a possibility,” Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, opposition leader in the National Assembly, said at a press conference in Islamabad on Monday. “We will also contact people from the original PPP, not for the sake of power but for Pakistan,” he said.

Nisar also sought to dismiss speculation that PML-N is panicking after PTI’s rally in Lahore, long considered the stronghold of his party. “We welcome Imran Khan but politics is not a T20 match. You cannot conquer Pakistan through one demonstration,” he said. However, he said, we have several questions for Imran and would like to know who finances his rallies.

Also, Nisar said, it is surprising that Imran had filed a case against Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain in the UK but had spared the party from criticism. He also criticised MQM’s pro-government rally, pointing out that some six months ago, Altaf was demanding that the president resign over corruption and now the party is expressing solidarity with Zardari.

Meanwhile, over in Lahore, encouraged by the incredible success of his party’s rally in Lahore, PTI chairperson Imran Khan invited ‘honest’ and “trapped” politicians from all political parties to join him.

“So many politicians are trapped in other parties but do not leave them for fear of their political future. They should leave and join the PTI,” Imran told reporters at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport before leaving for China on Monday.

There has been speculation that seasoned politicians, such as Pakistan Peoples Party’s Shah Mahmood Qureshi, are considering joining the PTI.

Talking about Sunday’s massive rally, he said that his people are a force which will destroy older political parties. “People will forget 1970 after seeing the unprecedented revolution that my people will bring in Pakistan,” he said.

(Read: The rise of Imran Khan)

Many of Imran’s critics have said that although PTI had managed to pull out a huge crowd of youngsters, it cannot be used as an indication of the party’s eventual success in the 2013 general elections because they might not vote.

“The Supreme Court has already ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan to register 3.5 million new voters. Due to social media, the young generation is aware of its right to vote and those who are under-age are asking their parents to register their votes,” Imran responded, reiterating that seeing the pervasive corruption, rising unemployment and lawlessness and the unavailability of water and electricity, the youth has decided to support him.

He said that he could consider entering into a dialogue with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif if he declares his complete assets. He said that his party has set up a cell to collect details of politicians’ assets and as soon as they have enough material, they will move the SC and the ECP.

(WITH ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY QAMAR ZAMAN IN ISLAMABAD)

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2011.

KARACHI: Buoyed by the public response to the Muttahida Qaumi Movemnt’s rally on Sunday, the Pakistan Peoples Party has decided to organise its own public meeting at Nishtar Park on November 13.

Announcing this at a press conference here on Monday, Home Minister Manzoor Wassan said that though the government had banned rallies and processions, it could relax the rules if any party sought permission from his department. For example, the MQM won a two-day reprieve to go ahead with its meeting on Sunday.

Wassan disclosed that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz intends to organise a public meeting. He said that the government could permit it, if the party follows the rules and applies for a no-objection certificate.

The mention of the PML-N opened the floor for questions on the attack on the party’s offices in Sindh. Wassan responded that they had already ordered a judicial inquiry. “Not only were the PML-N offices ransacked, but some miscreants also attacked the offices of the PPP and burnt posters and portraits of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto,” he said, adding that he had suspended SHOs in Khairpur and Kandhkot following the PML-N attacks. He denied that PPP workers were involved.

The government provides Nawaz Sharif full security whenever he visits Sindh, said Wassan, but went on to hastily temper this by saying that he regretted that “when Nawaz Sharif was chief minister of Punjab in 1988, he never received Benazir Bhutto, the then prime minister.”

Code of Conduct

Wassan announced that all the parties and groups, including the MQM, Sunni Tehreek, ANP, Jamaat-e-Islami, PPP and Jafria Alliance, have agreed to a government code of conduct for the collection of hides on Eid-ul Azha.

This was agreed on by 22 parties at a meeting at his office. Now the district coordination officers (DCOs) and home department will issue permits. “Only those who have permission would be allowed to collect hides,” he said, adding that cases would be registered against violators under the anti-terrorism act.

“There will be a ban on camps and no one will be allowed to make announcements from mosques, madrassas or use loud speakers,” he said. However, people can voluntarily donate hides at mosques and seminaries in their neighbourhoods. The police and Rangers are being given a free hand to ensure that this code of conduct is implemented. They will monitor people transporting hides. “The police will arrest people and confiscate the hides from them if they are found carrying it without a permit,” he said, adding that the government would also set up complaint centres at the DCO office.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 1^st, 2011.

ISLAMABAD: The federal government on Monday declared November 7 and 8 as holidays for Eidul Azha.

The government also announced a holiday on November 9 for Iqbal Day.

The public holidays for Eid and Iqbal day result in a five-day weekend starting from Saturday, November 5.

Earlier this week the moon of the Islamic month of Zilhaj was sighted in Pakistan and Eidul Azha and confirmed by the Chairman of Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee, Mufti Muneebur Rehman.

Eidul Azha, also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice” or “Greater Eid” is an important religious day celebrated by Muslims across the world to commemorate the willingness of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS) to sacrifice his son Hazrat Ismail (AS) as an act of obedience to God, before he intervened to replace a ram instead of Hazrat Ismail (AS).

Eidul Azha is celebrated annually on the 10th day of the last Islamic month of Zilhaj of the lunar Islamic calendar. The celebrations begin after the Hajj pilgrims descend from Mount Arafat. The Hajj congregation is also the world’s largest annual gathering.

Correction: The spelling of ‘government’ was misspelled in the headline earlier. The error has been rectified. 

KABUL: The Haqqani network, which Washington has blamed for a series of attacks in Afghanistan, may have been involved in a weekend bombing in Kabul that was the deadliest ground attack against Western troops in 10 years of war, officials said on Monday.

The suicide bombing on Saturday, which killed 13 foreigners, came just days before Afghanistan’s President Hamid Karzai and senior officials from its neighbours and its Western backers, including US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, were due to meet in Istanbul to discuss regional security.

The involvement of the Haqqani group, believed by Washington to be based in the mountains of North Waziristan on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, would make the already tough task of bringing Afghanistan and its neighbours together even more difficult.

“We don’t have any information indicating a direct Haqqani link yet, but it’s very possible it is Haqqani-related,” a Western diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

Officials said that while evidence of Haqqani involvement was by no means conclusive, the style of the attack and some of the equipment used in it raised that possibility.

Sirajuddin Haqqani, leader of the network, recently told Reuters that it is no longer based in Pakistan and is comfortable operating in Afghanistan after battlefield gains there.

A senior police official in Kabul said the explosives used in the attack were likely to have originated in either Iran or Pakistan.

“If it’s Pakistan, then it is definitely the work of the Haqqanis, but we are not certain as the investigation is underway,” he said, also speaking on condition of anonymity.

(Read: Pakistan — no point in supporting the Haqqanis)

“Before, the Haqqanis claimed responsibility for unusual attacks in which they were indeed involved, but now they are seemingly avoiding independent claims of responsibility, and letting the Taliban get the credit, to avert future problems,” the police official said.

Security meeting      

ISAF said it was investigating Saturday’s attack.

“What we know so far is that the Taliban have claimed responsibility,” ISAF spokesman Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson told Reuters. “We are looking into the case whether there is Haqqani involvement and we will react appropriately.”

The Taliban said it carried out Saturday’s attack, in which Americans, Britons and a Canadian died, as well as three other civilians and a policeman.

Clinton visited the region earlier this month and said in Pakistan that the United States had earlier held a preliminary meeting with representatives of the Haqqani network.

That meeting was organised by the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI), which US officials have repeatedly charged with playing a “double game” with extremists and working with the Haqqanis.

A European official, also speaking on condition of anonymity on Monday, said the sophistication and timing of the attack, coming so soon after Clinton’s visit to Pakistan, indicated that it was likely the work of the Haqqanis.

“It certainly has all the hallmarks of the Haqqanis,” the official said. “It’s part of their efforts to resist efforts to bring them to the negotiating table.”

Also attending Wednesday’s security meeting in Istanbul will be foreign ministers from France, Germany and Poland, and representatives from NATO and the United Nations.

Turkey’s President Abdullah Gul will host a trilateral meeting between Karzai and Pakistan’s President Asif Zardari on Tuesday.

The Afghan government and its foreign backers are preparing for the end of 2014, the deadline for foreign combat troops to return home, though some foreign troops will stay on as trainers and advisers.

Some Afghans fear their own security forces will be unable to cope with the insurgency when the majority of foreign troops go and that their country may fall into another civil war.

In the aftermath of accusing the Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI) of having clandestine ties with the Haqqani network, the United States (US) has asked for its assistance in initiating peace talks with the group.

US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton wants the ISI to launch reconciliation talks, which she has termed as “Fight, Talk, Build”, the New York Times has reported.

The US aimed to end the war in Afghanistan by its renewed approach.

NYT reports that there are some elements in the ISI that are not moved by the approach to force dialogue because they might lose influence in Afghanistan, as the US is planning to withdraw troops from the region.

A senior American official termed Pakistan’s stance as “Cease-fire, Talk, Wait for the Americans to Leave”.

A former top White House aide on Pakistan and Afghanistan Shamila N. Chaudhary said:

The big question for the administration is, what can the Pakistanis actually deliver? Pakistan is holding its cards very closely.

However, senior Pakistani officials remain confused by US plans in Afghanistan after it offered Pakistan to have a prominent position in the reconciliation, but at the same time warned Pakistan of unilateral action if talks fall flat on the negotiation table.

Clinton’s take on the issue also surges confusion as she presses for talks and asks Pakistan to “squeeze Haqqanis.”

She said:

We want to fight, talk and build all at the same time. Part of the reason for that is to test whether these organizations have any willingness to negotiate in good faith.

ISLAMABAD: The Chief Justice of Pakistan on Monday said that the court cannot summon those listed as parties in the foreign assets case unless specific information is provided by the petitioner.

The CJP Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry made these remarks during the hearing of the case regarding foreign assets of civil and military officers.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court said it would hear the petition regarding foreign assets and formed a larger bench to conduct the hearing today (Monday).

The petition was filed in the apex court by former Information Minister Mohammad Ali Durrani. The petition states that certain Pakistani civilian and military officials, politicians and businessmen have made money through illegal means and subsequently laundered it to Switzerland and other countries.

The Supreme Court in today’s hearing directed the petitioner to amend the petition to make it more relevant.

The chief justice told the petitioner that the court cannot invoke foreign parties to assist in the investigation, as the petition had suggested.

“We are a sovereign state,” the chief justice told the petitioner. “We can’t invite anyone from abroad to help us out.”

He also told the petitioner that he should not confine his allegations to political parties, adding that the flight of capital to specific countries must be ascertained.

“You have mentioned PPP, PML-N, MQM and PML-Q. We can’t summon everyonme,” the chief justice said.

The court has now adjourned the hearing for two weeks and ordered the petitioner to file new papers.

PESHAWAR: A provincial cabinet minister escaped unhurt Monday when Taliban militants opened fire on his vehicle in the country’s troubled northwest, officials said.

Amjad Khan Afridi, minister for housing and physical planning in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was travelling in his bullet-proof car when militants hiding in the Bilitang area of Kohat district opened fire, police said.

“Militants fired three sniper shots from the nearby hills. One bullet hit the car’s windscreen. The minister is safe,” Mubarak Zeb, police chief in Kohat district, told AFP.

“The minister was the target. Militants were involved in this attack,” he added.

An intelligence official in Peshawar blamed the attack on the Taliban.

Afridi, a member of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) had a police escort at the time of the attack, the official added.

Pakistan’s northwest is deeply troubled by violence blamed on the Taliban and al Qaeda allies, who have strongholds in semi-autonomous tribal districts on the border with Afghanistan, where US troops are fighting a 10-year war.

Since Pakistani troops stormed a radical mosque in Islamabad in 2007, more than 4,700 people have been killed across the country in militant attacks.

In terms of numbers, the MQM’s rally was a success. Tens of thousands attended, including members of the Hindu community. The organisational skills of the MQM to put together such a large-scale event at short notice were on display. The messaging was consistent, as party chief Altaf Hussain and other leaders stuck to the theme of the rally – supporting democracy and President Asif Ali Zardari, as well as criticising the Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif for allegedly using derogatory language to refer to the president.

However, unlike the PTI event, the rally wasn’t attended by young teenagers and adults, and fleets of land cruisers and Prados that leaders of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) had used to travel to the rally stood as a stark contrast to the party’s ideology of working against landlords and feudal lords and representing the middle class.

The MQM’s roots lie in student activism. Party leader Hussain found his calling as an activist while at the Karachi University, and young leaders like former nazim Mustafa Kamal was surrounded by young men who wanted a photograph with him.

What does the MQM make of the PTI capitalising on a younger target audience?

MQM’s Nasreen Jalil, who has served as deputy nazim, said it was a “positive sign” that people had become more aware and were involved in the political process. “Imran Khan speaks very well,” she told The Express Tribune, “However, he has no team that can deliver. The MQM has been working for 25 years and our people have delivered in politics, including the development in Karachi or good governance.”

Jalil said that the MQM’s leadership – including its representatives in the provincial and national assemblies “rose from the middle class”. “We do not have tribal leaders or feudal lords in the party.”

According to Jalil, Altaf Hussain believes that young people – even if they do not join the MQM – should participate in politics. MPA Faisal Subzwari used his own example to illustrate his party’s strategy of ‘inducting and introducing young people into electoral politics’. “I’m a deputy parliamentary leader and 38 of our 51 members in the provincial assembly were first-timers.

“While young voters are very idealistic, the reality check when one enters politics is quite harsh.”

Referring to Imran Khan, he said: “The politics of defiance is very easy. However, working within the system to strive for the betterment of people is different.”

Subzwari explained how frustrating ‘real politics’ can be. “I introduced an anti-domestic violence bill in 2007, it got approved in 2011. “I remember how much lobbying we had to do for another bill simply because the word ‘hari’ (farm hand) was in the text. These people [referring to the landed class] are not the true representatives of people. We have a ‘feudocracy’, not a democracy.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st,  2011.

PESHAWAR: Six people were killed, and two others injured, in a US drone strike in Datta Khel area of North Waziristan on Sunday.

According to initial reports, a drone fired more than six missiles, of which four were fired at a compound and two at a vehicle suspected of militant activity.

There has been a string of US drone strikes recently which have killed several high-ranking militants including the brother of a Pakistani Taliban commander along with five others in Azam Warsak, while six more militants were killed in another strike in Hishokhel village.

Under President Barack Obama, the United States has drastically stepped up drone strikes in Pakistan but refuses to discuss them publicly.

Nearly 60 US drone strikes have been reported in Pakistan so far this year, dozens of them since US Navy SEALs killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad on May 2, 2011.

Relations between Pakistan and the United States deteriorated after that, and again over accusations that Pakistani intelligence was involved with the Haqqani network, blamed for a siege last month of the US embassy in Kabul.

Meanwhile, around 2,000 Pakistanis staged a demonstration outside parliament on Friday to demand an end to US drone strikes, claiming they kill more innocent civilians than extremist leaders.

(With additional input from AFP)

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st,  2011.

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s top diplomatic authorities have decided to put on the backburner a proposal to grant India the most favoured nation (MFN) trade status after a hostile reaction from political parties. Diplomats will also address the concerns of the security establishment regarding the potential side-effects of the status.

“We should not expect an immediate announcement…the final decision might get delayed,” a senior official at the foreign ministry said on Sunday. “But the proposal is very much there…it is under the international trade agreement and there is no way we can shy away from it.”

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khan earlier this month informed the National Assembly that the government had in principle decided to give India the MFN status and a formal announcement was likely soon.

Islamabad first agreed to give this concession, which is primarily related to trade, to New Delhi during a visit by Commerce Minister Makhdoom Amin Fahim to India earlier in the year.

But mainstream political parties, including the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), a bipartisan parliamentary committee on Kashmir and rightwing pro-establishment groups opposed the decision in unison.

“This is what has forced the authorities to delay the final decision,” the official said, requesting his name not be mentioned as he is not permitted to talk to the media.

When contacted, foreign office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua neither confirmed nor denied that the decision could take longer than expected. “I would not say anything…you better talk to the commerce ministry,” she added.

Commerce secretary talks between the two countries are scheduled to be held in New Delhi next month.

A military official said security agencies would definitely want the government to take them into confidence on some of the aspects of the MFN status to India.

“What will be the monitoring mechanism for the consignments of Indian goods transported into Pakistan? We would like to know this and other similar aspects of it,” said the official.

Pakistan’s powerful military has a history of opposing any deal that allows India to export its products into Pakistani markets. “We are not against trade. It takes place through Karachi as well…the monitoring mechanism is important for us,” the official added.

It is not known whether the decision had the backing of the security establishment, which claims most threats to the country’s security and territorial integrity emanate from the east.

Defence analyst and former head of country’s premier spy agency Lt. Gen. (retd) Asad Durrani, however, said he did not see any reason for security agencies to oppose a move which was mandatory under the international trade regime.

The PML-N’s Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan told the media in Islamabad a couple of weeks ago that his party would oppose the move if the government decides to go ahead with the decision. “I tell you it is unrealistic to think that India will give up its hard line on Kashmir,” said Nisar.

“Trade with India should not be at the cost of Kashmir,” the opposition leader added. “We should not expect New Delhi to alter its position because Musharraf (former military ruler) gave them several concessions but none worked.”

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st,  2011.

The conference scheduled for November 2 will discuss issues relating to the transition process in Afghanistan, including Afghan security and the reconciliation process.

The ministerial-level conference is being attended by the United States, France, Germany, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Turkey and the Nato countries as well as representatives of the United Nations.

Islamabad, which is considered to have a pivotal role in any future political dispensation in Afghanistan, has already voiced concerns on the proposed Istanbul draft finalised recently at conferences held in Oslo and Kabul.

The sticking point is the new regional mechanism the US and other Western countries are pushing for the Afghan endgame.

“We believe there is no need of any new regional mechanism as regional security issues can be dealt with within the existing regional framework,” a Pakistani official told The Express Tribune.

“Pakistan will certainly oppose the idea,” said the official, who requested his name not be mentioned in the report. “Pakistan is not the only country which has reservations … many other countries are also against it.”

The foreign ministry also indicated Pakistan’s concerns over the Istanbul draft.

“The existing regional organisations and arrangements may also be urged to prioritise for achieving a stable, peaceful and prosperous Afghanistan in a stable, peaceful and prosperous region,” Foreign Office spokesperson Tehmina Janjua said last week in her media briefing.

The Istanbul draft seeks to establish a new regional framework that not only includes Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours but also several other nations, which do not share borders with Kabul.

Pakistan will propose at the conference that all regional and international players must make an unequivocal commitment about the sovereignty of Afghanistan.

Islamabad fears that Afghanistan may be used by certain countries to further their interests in the region.

“No country should be allowed to violate the sovereignty of Afghanistan either by having permanent military bases or influencing its security forces,” said a military official while requesting anonymity.

The US plans, though not officially, to maintain military presence in Afghanistan even beyond 2014 when international forces will pull out of the war-torn country.

But several regional countries, including Pakistan, China, Russia and Iran have serious reservations over the US plans.

Ahead of the Istanbul conference, Turkish President Abdullah Gul will host a trilateral meeting with President Asif Zardari and Afghanistan’s Hamid Karzai on Tuesday.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st,  2011.

BERLIN: Pakistan’s secret service spied on German security forces in Afghanistan, raising fears that sensitive information could end up in the hands of the Taliban, a German paper reported on Sunday.  

Without citing its sources, mass-selling weekly Bild am Sonntag reported that Germany’s BND foreign intelligence agency warned its interior ministry that Pakistan had spied on 180 German police officers deployed in Afghanistan to train locals.

The interior ministry told Reuters that the BND suspected a German email had been intercepted but could not give confirmation. The ministry added it was not aware of any comprehensive interception of German police data.

Pakistan’s interior and foreign ministries and military were unavailable for comment.

Bild am Sonntag said private telephone calls, messages to the ministry, military mission orders and lists of police officer names had been intercepted.

The BND declined to comment on the report.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st,  2011.

LAHORE: In a brutal incident, a local politician was burnt alive by unknown men at his house in the Chhanga Manga area of Kasur district on Sunday.

Unknown men overpowered Rana Shaukat, President of Chhanga Manga chapter of the PML-N, tied him to his cot and set him on fire, police and relatives said.

Rana Wajid Ali, nephew of the deceased, said that his party affiliation could be linked to his death as he had struggled much in taking a lot of people to the PML-N rally in Lahore.

Wajid Ali, ex-city nazim, said the deceased also had gunmen but they were in the other room and could not know about the incident.

He said they knew about the tragic episode as they reached the outhouse and found smoke emitting from the room where Shaukat used to sleep. He said as they opened the door, they found him charred beyond recognition.

He said initially they thought he was burnt accidentally but upon noticing that his hands and feet were tied with the cot they deduced that he had been set on fire.

Changa Manga police station duty officer Nadeem told this correspondent that on complaint of Shafqat Ali, son of the deceased, they have registered an FIR against unknown assailants.

According to the complainant, the PML-N leader was first rendered unconscious and then set on fire. He said that the bereaved family has not yet nominated anyone as accused in the case.

He said the outhouse was a big place where three people were also sleeping in the other room. He said that no one from the other room claimed to have heard any noise.

Wajid said that his uncle had old affiliation with the PML-N. He was also president of PML-N in Tehsil Chunian.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st,  2011.

The chairman of the party, Imran Khan, addressed an enormous crowd at the Minar-e-Pakistan grounds in Lahore. Intelligence sources said that between 65,000 and 70,000 attended the rally, while PTI’s deputy information secretary claimed the figure was over 100,000. Journalists’ counts ranged from 60,000 to 70,000 people.

Other PTI leaders also spoke, taking the opportunity to knock the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), the party’s rivals in the Punjab heartland. Imran, however, focused more on his manifesto and vision for Pakistan.

Imran demanded that the PPP-led coalition government declare their assets, along with those of opposition parties. A failure to do so would launch the PTI on a civil disobedience movement across the country.

He said his party would form a special cell to probe assets owned by politicians in the country, adding that the PTI is ready to go to the Supreme Court to demand an independent election commission.

The former cricketer also outlined a 10-point agenda from his party, which he termed the only solution to the country’s current problems. The rally had an electric atmosphere, certainly aided by the large presence of the youth. In parts it had elements of a rock festival, as musicians, including Shehzad Roy, performed.

Imran said the gathering was the fruit of his 15 years of work in politics. With the support of the youth, he said, the political status quo in Pakistan could be broken up.

He also shed light on the choice of Lahore as the venue for the rally, referring to Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah starting his movement for Pakistan from the same city.

Imran rebuked President Asif Ali Zardari for forgetting “Bhutto’s philosophy of socialism”. Instead, Khan said, Zardari had “promoted imperialism and around 16,000 people have committed suicide during his era.”

Khan also termed the PML-N’s gathering on October 28 as a ‘Patwari’ rally and mocked the Sharif brothers’ ambitions: “You could not kill the mosquito – how will you remove Zardari from the presidency”.

As a further warning to his political rivals, Khan declared: “Those in Raiwind and Islamabad should know that it is not a flood that is coming, but a tsunami.”

PTI’s 10-point programme

Khan vowed that if PTI came to power, it would end power crisis through coal reserves and by enhancing the capacity of generation plants.

Khan said that Rs3,000 billion is wasted every year due to corruption, and stated his party would end Pakistan’s “biggest problem” while also bringing back foreign assets lying in Swiss banks.

The party would wipe out all ‘Patwaris’ through computerised systems. Khan said that people in villages live like slaves due to corrupt Patwaris and police.

The PTI would devise a new local government system which would enhance education and health in villages.

He said the PTI would also ensure rights for Balochistan and end to target killings. Khan said his party would talk with Akhtar Mengal and the son of the Nawab of Kalat in this regard.

On terrorism, Khan termed the ‘war on terror’ as the US’ war and vowed to hang all those responsible for the deaths of 35,000 innocent Pakistanis. He said that there are one million armed people in the tribal areas who, if drone attacks stopped, would happily remove terrorists living in their areas. Khan added that the PTI would withdraw the military from the tribal areas.

On foreign policy, he said that his party would extend friendship to the US, but not at the cost of the country’s sovereignty – and would prefer to have close ties with China.

Regarding Kashmir, Khan said that he would convince India to withdraw its military from the disputed region and start negotiations with Kashmiri leaders.

He also said that the PTI would ensure the rights of minorities and labourers in the country, as well as empowering women through education.

(Read: Save Pakistan rally – High turnout raises hopes for change)

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st,  2011.

The ‘Istehkaam-e-Jamhooriat’ rally organised by the Muttahida Qaumi Movement within, as the party claimed, 40 hours, was attended by tens of thousands of people.

Party leaders addressed the rally before MQM chief Altaf Hussain spoke. Contingents of leaders from the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) also attended the event, including the PPP’s Professor ND Khan, Taj Haider, Agha Siraj Durrani, Pir Mazharul Haq and Sharmila Faruqi and the PML-Q’s Shaharyar Mahar and Haleem Adil Sheikh.

Agha Siraj Durrani and Pir Mazharul Haq criticised Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s use of ‘derogatory’ language against President Zardari during his speech in Lahore. While PPP veteran Professor ND Khan refrained from directly speaking about Sharif, Haq and Durrani took it on themselves to invoke memories of the 1990s and the ‘mistreatment’ of the PPP by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Durrani spoke about the time spent with Sharif when they were imprisoned at Landhi jail in Karachi while Haq said that Ijazul Haq was not the late General Ziaul Haq’s son, but the Sharif brothers – Nawaz and Shahbaz – were.

Both leaders warned the PML-N that they too knew how to speak in abusive language but were refraining from doing so.

PML-Q’s Sheikh said that the PML-N was on the verge of failing and that the party should be ashamed of its acts.

And like clockwork, the time came for the MQM founder and chief Altaf Hussain to deliver his speech. As if on cue, party workers and leaders stood as the air filled with the party’s song – “Mazloomon Ka Saathi Altaf Hussain” – and waved flags and sang along.

Hussain’s speech was largely a rehash of Saturday’s address to party workers, though he did ask for the MQM, PPP, PML-Q and even the Awami National Party (ANP) – whom the MQM has frequently blamed for violence in Karachi – to come together and have another rally for the sake of democracy.

Hussain criticised Sharif’s speech in Lahore and said that the “democratic process must continue”. He did say that government policies can be criticised but in a civil manner.

He also referred to the Sharifs’ past, reminding the audience that the Nawaz and Shahbaz Sharif had “fled to Jeddah”.

“When the Sharif brothers were in jail, sounds of crying could be heard from their cells. Zardari bore his 11-year sentence like a man.”

The MQM leader said that the PML-N should wait for elections instead of trying to derail democracy and engaging in talk of “hanging people upside down”.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st,  2011.

LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) took out a large rally at the Minar-e-Pakistan ground in Lahore on Sunday.

More than 100,000 supporters gathered as a show of strength in what is traditionally the PML-N stronghold.

PTI chief Imran Khan warned politicians to declare their assets or his party would launch a civil disobedience movement against them.

Speaking on issues plaguing the country, Khan said that his party would stand with minorities and work for the rights of women.

He said PTI would also give the Baloch their rights and “not colonise them.”

End of live updates

7:20pm

The national anthem was played at the end of the ceremony.

7:10pm

“All politicians should declare their assets. PTI is forming a special cell to probe foreign assets owned by politicians.”

“We will go to the Supreme Court, we will for a independent Election Commission, if politicians do not declare their assets.”

“We will run a civil disobedience movement if they do not declare their assets.”

7:10pm

“We will stand with you not because I am shouting political slogans, but because it is my duty to stand with the weaker class.”

“PTI will stand with the minorities.”

“For the women of Pakistan, PTI is that party which will get you your rights. We will work on education for women,” says Khan

“When they get education they will stand for their rights.”

“My message to India on the presence of their army in Kashmir is that that a military solution has never helped solve anything,” says the PTI chief.

“I am going on a tour to China tonight on the invitation of the government of China. We will strengthen our ties with China.”

7:00pm

“We will give rights to the people of Balochistan. We will make them our brothers and not colonise them.”

“Tribal elders have pledged to ensure peace if the army withdraws from the tribal areas. They have said leave it to us, will end terrorism ourselves,” says Khan.

“PTI will ensure that Pakistan Army never launches an operation against its own citizens and that we never beg any country ever again.”

6:55pm

“We need to get rid of the patwari system,” says Khan.

“Pakistan’s assemblies are full of the kabza group. They support the patwari system because they get money from them.”

“PTI will make the police a non-political force.”

6:50pm

“Mian sahib jaan diyoo, sadee baree aan diyo.”

6:40pm

“Zardari wrote to the Americans, asked them to protect him from the Army, said that he will bring his own generals.”

“The biggest problem that Pakistan faces today is corruption. We are America’s slaves because of corruption,” says Khan.

“PTI will wipe out corruption. We will make a law that those who do not declare their assets will not be allowed to take part in politics.”

6:35pm

“Those in Raiwind and Islamabad should know that it is not a flood that is coming, but a tsunami.”

6:30pm

“Hum aaj eik nayee Pakistan ka aghaz ker rahay hain,” says Imran Khan.

“Today I greet all the rickshaw drivers , taxi drivers… civil servants who have secretly come here, policemen who are happy on the inside.”

6:25pm

Crowds cheer as Imran Khan approaches the podium.

PTI chief Imran Khan is now addressing the rally.

“We have worked hard and tried to bring change for 15 years,” says Imran Khan.

“Today Allah has listened to us.”

6:20pm

The national anthem is now being played at the rally.

6:15pm

Express 24/7 reports that conservative estimates put the crowd at 150,000.

Strings are now performing on stage.

ainaBaloch  it looks more like a concert #PtiJalsa

UsamaKhilji Arif Alvi: PTI believes in equal rights for women, minorities, like the Prophet Muhammad PBUH did, under a welfare Islamic State. #PTIjalsa

6:10pm

Singer Shahzaman is now performing on stage.

Express 24/7 correspondent Rabia Mehmood reporting the rally is very organised despite the large number of people who have arrived.

5:55pm

PTI’s online supporters have started using the hash tag #OMP on Twitter to signify ‘Occupy Minar-e-Pakistan’.

Shehzad Roy is trending worldwide on Twitter.

5:45pm

Singer and social worker Shehzad Roy is performing on stage.

madeehai Yes we khan #PTIjalsa #PTI #Lahore #pakistan

PTI Secretary General Arif Alvi had earlier told AFP that Khan “will make important announcements regarding the country’s politics and future course of action.”

“The wind of change of has started in the country and anyone coming in its way would be eliminated,” Alvi said and added “Tehreek-e-Insaf wants the rule of people constitution and law in the country.”

“It is going to be historic. We have our supporters and voters coming from Lahore and its suburban areas and the expected gathering would be over 100,000 people,” Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar, a member of the party’s organising committee had said.

“We have been reassured by the provincial police chief about the security of the gathering and smooth flow of traffic for our convoys,” Khokhar had told AFP.

Senior police official Ghulam Mahmood Dogar told reporters that all steps had been taken to provide “fool-proof” security at the public meeting.

5:40pm

Express 24/7 correspondent Rabia Mehmood reports that the number of people at the venue has now crossed 100,000.

Roads from Minto Park upto the secretariat, railway station and Ravi bridge are blocked.

Supporters are still arriving at the venue.

Asad Kharal reports that PTI organisers are claiming that the PML-N government has shut down cable services in Lahore using police and other departments.

5:35pm

Asad Kharal reports that more than 50,000 people are inside the venue, and there are people present out in the streets.

Police and rescue service personnel are also present behind the stage.

5:25pm

PTI chief Imran Khan said his Maghrib prayers on stage.

5:20pm

Mian Azhar is addressing the rally.

“Change will come,” says the PTI leader.

5:15pm

PTI leaders have started addressing the rally.

Asad Kharal reports the barrier/grill around the venue has been broken.

5:10pm

Asad Kharal reports that the venue has been filled up to capacity and there are supporters standing outside. Families are still arriving at the venue with flags and posters.

All roads leading up to the venue are full of people on foot and in vehicles.

PTI supporters were seen ripping Hamza Shahbaz and Nawaz Sharif posters placed in high places near the venue.

4:50pm

Asad Kharal reports there is a massive traffic jam within a 2-3 kilometre radius of Minar-e-Pakistan.

Ambulances are also stuck in the jam and are finding it difficult to find a way out.

omarchughtai 150,000 there already. For every 1 there, there’s a thousand people getting ready to go.

Amnaa_tariq Imran Khan is using no Bullet Proof Glass

hammy86 Strings also present @ #PTIjalsa ”mein bhe dekho ga.. Tun bhe dekho gai”

4:30pm

OmarWaraich Lahore Special Branch say the venue at Minar-e-Pakistan is full #PTIjalsa

4:15pm

PTI chief Imran Khan has arrived and is on stage.

A massive crowd is seen waving party flags and cheering the arrival of Khan.

harisn Imran Khan is here! Just arrived backstage. #PTI #Pakistan #PTIJalsa #OMP

4:00pm

The Express Tribune correspondent Asad Kharal reports PTI officials have claimed that a major portion of the 45,000 seating arrangement at the rally has been covered.

Around 1,100 to 1,200 supporters have arrived from four constituencies of Nankana district.

PTI convener Sajjad Haider Randhawa led 700 to 800 people from the PP-170 Sangla constituency of the district. The supporters arrived in 25 vehicles – two big buses, eight cars and 15 coasters.

Muhammad Ishaq led a convoy of 13 vehicles carrying 250-300 people from PP-170 Shahkot.

No vehicles or people have arrived at the rally from PP-172 Nankana City, the constituency of sitting MPA of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Rai Shahnawaz Bhatti.

3:12pm

According to Express 24/7 correspondent Rabia Mehmood, thousands of students have shown up to support the PTI. A majority of the crowd is made up of young people.

Over 6,000 people have gathered so far, and many people are arriving by bus and by foot.

Dancing, cheering and slogan raising is the focus of the rally at this stage.

2:50pm

People from all over the country, from all age groups and backgrounds are arriving at the venue to attend Imran Khan’s rally.

The party chief is expected to make an ‘important announcement’ in today’s address.

Correspondent Rabia Mehmood describes a festive air at the ground:

Rabail26 Students from #KPK with #PTI flags in hands, dancing on a song in Pashto. Their headbands say ‘ISF Al-Jihad’. #PTIJalsa #Lahore

Express 24/7 correspondent Rabia Mehmood says approximately 5-6,000 people have gathered around Minar-i-Pakistan for the PTI rally so far.

The organisers set 2pm as the official time for the rally to kick off.

Around 1,500 policemen including 50 Elite Force personnel are to be deployed at Minar-i-Pakistan. Thirty-two walkthrough gates monitored by CCTV cameras have been installed at the venue.

The protest area has been divided into four zones, with a superintendent of police given charge of a zone each.

The Insaf Student Federation (ISF), the student wing of Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), says it expects some 7,000 students from schools in the city to join its public meeting at Minar-i-Pakistan today.

Imran, whose party has been making significant inroads as a ‘street power’ but has yet to do well in elections, is being seen by observers as at least a ‘game changer’ in coming parliamentary polls, especially in Punjab’s urban areas.

Help us build our report

Email updates to web@tribune.com.pk or use #PTIjalsa in Twitter updates.

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