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“I have full confidence in the judiciary and I will be acquitted in all cases instituted against me.”

Talking to The Express Tribune Niazi said:

“The Supreme Court had not placed my name on the Exit Control List (ECL). The government had put me on the ECL. A medical board was constituted for me on the orders of the Supreme Court. On the basis of the medical board’s reports I was admitted to a hospital.  Citing the medical board’s reports I had applied for permission to visit Bangladesh for treatment. Since there was delay in getting an appointment with the relevant physician, I had to postpone my journey. When I reached Bangladesh and after undergoing medical examination I returned to Pakistan after a two-day stay there.”

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2012.

“Our reservations with regards to the recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS) are still there which we have conveyed to the visiting diplomats,” Chaudhry Nisar Ali Kahn told a press conference. “We have told the US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter that continued drone attacks would further affect people to people contacts with the US,” he said.

Nisar added that his party had reservations regarding three clauses of the PCNS that include the presence of foreign intelligence operatives and private security contractors in the country, and parliament’s permission to allow a foreign power for setting up military bases. “Would any sovereign country allow another country to have a military base on its land?” he questioned. “We will never endorse these three clauses at any cost.”

Nisar did not spell out the party’s policy regarding the resumption of Nato supplies. “Five clauses of the resolution are good for the country and should be implemented, whereas the international community is concerned about one clause; the reopening of Nato supply routes,” he mentioned. He said the blockade and resumption of supply lines was the government’s decision.

He reiterated that PML-N had no objection to the clauses that demand an end to drone strikes inside Pakistan.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2012.

A senior official of the Indus River System Authority (Irsa) said that its advisory committee had projected line losses of 40% in the water system in April. Irsa had projected a total shortage of 12% in the entire Kharif season, but earlier in the same season it could reach 20%.

The projections were made in a meeting of Irsa’s Advisory Committee chaired by Irsa Chairman Syed Mazhar Ali Shah.

Sources said Irsa distributes water among the provinces following a 3-tier water distribution formula, whereas Sindh wants to receive its share of the water as per paragraph (2) of the Water Accord, 1991.

Another Irsa official requesting anonymity said “if the availability of water is below 100 million acre feet (MAF) for the Kharif season, then water is distributed among the provinces following a 3-tier formula.”

He added that the total availability of water had been projected to be 98 MAF during the entire season, and therefore distribution would take place under the mentioned formula.

The official said that Irsa would meet again next month to examine the causes of line losses. He said Punjab had expressed strong reservations, demanding that these losses be reduced.

The official said that in the meeting Wapda had informed that all issues including the resettlement of people living near the Mangla Dam had been resolved. The dam was ready to function at its full capacity, he added.

Wapda officials were told that the provision of water for irrigation purposes would be the regulator’s top priority.

Talking to the media after the meeting, Irsa chairman Syed Mazhar Ali Shah informed that Punjab would receive 31.65 MAF, Sindh 28.2 MAF, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa 0.8 MAF and Balochistan 2.56 MAF of water for the entire Kharif season.

The agricultural community of Sindh and Punjab feel that output will be affected due to the shortage of water. Cotton, sugarcane and paddy are the major crops of the season.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2012.

ISLAMABAD: Salaried individuals and small business owners are likely to receive significant tax relief in the upcoming budget. The government is considering exempting up to Rs350,000 in income from tax calculations entirely.

At present, while a salaried person earning less than that threshold is not taxed at all, one earning even a nominal amount above it is taxed on the entire income.

For instance, someone earning Rs400,000 is taxed at 1.5% on the entire amount. If the proposal under consideration is incorporated, however, the person earning Rs400,000 will only be taxed on Rs50,000 that is above the exempted threshold.

The move, if included in the ruling government’s fifth and last budget before upcoming elections, will benefit roughly 1.1 million salaried taxpayers in the country.

The budget is likely to be announced before mid-June.

Proposals on the table

The proposal was thrashed out at a meeting of tax reforms coordination group on Thursday, headed by Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. Asked if the government was going to review tax brackets, the finance minister said the government will provide ‘relief to the masses’ in the upcoming budget.

Last year, the income tax exemption threshold, for salaried individuals and business owners, had been raised to Rs350,000 from Rs300,000.

A senior Federal Board of Revenue (FBR) functionary ruled out the possibility of increasing the income tax exemption threshold in the next financial year.

The proposal has currently been shot down, he said, but hastily added that nothing can be said till the finalisation of the budget.

He added though that the government was reviewing the option to lower tax rates on initial income brackets. The purpose is to provide relief as people’s purchasing power is shrinking due to double-digit inflation, he added.

Tax brackets

For business owners, there are five income tax slabs ranging from 7.5% to 25% while for salaried individuals there are 16 tax brackets ranging from 1.5% to 20%.

Business owners with income exceeding Rs350,000, but less than Rs500,000, pay 7.5% in taxes while salaried individuals with income between Rs350,000 and Rs400,000 the tax rate is 1.5%.

The highest rates are applicable for salaried individuals earning more than Rs4.55 million per year, or businesses having an annual income above Rs1.5 million, according to the Income Tax Ordinance. For corporations, the income tax rate is 35%.

Taxing rental income

The government, on Thursday, also considered proposal to tax income from rental property, which is a federal subject under the constitution. A proposal to levy tax on monthly rental income above Rs100,000 was floated, but could not be finalised since the finance minister had certain reservations, sources said.

An FBR official said the authorities will also have to take provinces into confidence. Under the constitution, the federal government cannot levy tax on agriculture income but it has the right to tax rental income.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2012.

ISLAMABAD: The United States has agreed to pay compensation and additional taxes on Nato supplies passing through Pakistan in a move that indicates Washington’s eagerness to end the blockade of the vital supply line for coalition troops stationed in Afghanistan.

Washington conveyed its willingness to accept Islamabad’s demand at recent talks between the civil and military leadership of the two countries, confirmed Pakistani and American officials, requesting anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue.

An American diplomat familiar with the development disclosed that Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani’s recent interaction with US President Barak Obama at the Seoul summit, and talks between the top military commanders of the two countries produced positive results on key issues.

“The meetings were extremely productive and clearly the two sides now have a better understanding of each other’s views,” the diplomat said, adding that the US was ready to pay compensation for the damage caused to infrastructure in the country by Nato containers and also an additional transit fee that Pakistan was seeking to impose on goods.

According to the National Highway Authority (NHA), Nato containers use the N-5 National Highway from Karachi to Torkham and N-25 from Karachi to Chaman, when supplying goods to forces stationed in Afghanistan. NHA estimates put the damage caused to the country’s infrastructure by Nato trucks at close to Rs120 billion.

An all-party and bicameral panel, which prepared recommendations to reset ties with the US, has asked the government to seek funds from Washington as compensation for the repair and maintenance of damaged infrastructure.

“Even if we pay compensation and additional taxes, Pakistan still is the cheapest and most viable option for Nato supplies,” said an American official.

Washington is keen to get the supplies moving again because it is much more expensive to ship goods by an alternative route that runs through Central Asia. The supply line through Pakistan is also vital for the US when it pulls out equipment from Afghanistan as its combat troops are due to withdraw from the country by the end of 2014.

Deadlock persists on drones

While there has been progress on the issue of Nato supplies, the two sides have hit an impasse on drone strikes inside the country’s tribal belt. The US, though, has shown willingness to discuss a new framework for the use of Predator strikes but ruled out the possibility of abandoning the CIA-led campaign.

“There is a zero-tolerance on drones, there is not even a remote possibility that the Obama administration will review this policy,” said another American official.

He revealed that Pakistan had offered to use precision guided F-16s as an alternative to the drone attacks to take out ‘high value’ targets in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan.

It is also the first time that the civil and military leadership is even privately asking the US to halt its drone campaign, said a Pakistan official.

In the past, the government and the military establishment has been accused of having a dual policy on drones as they have publicly condemned the strikes but believed to have privately condoned them.

(Read: Where are Pak-US ties headed?)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2012.

ISLAMABAD: In its desire to muster political consensus on foreign policy reconfiguration, the government has given in to the opposition.

The Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS), which drafted a 40-point proposal on terms of reengagement with the United States, is now considering a key opposition demand – to link the resumption of Nato supplies with a halt to drone strikes in tribal regions.

“This is our proposal … it will save us from public anger,” an opposition member told The Express Tribune after the PCNS session.

Opposition parties have refused to own the parliamentary panel’s proposal, objecting to key issues such as resumption of Nato supplies and US drone strikes.

The meeting of the multi-party, bicameral PCNS took place a day after top political leaders and military brass met in Islamabad where it was agreed that the recommendations would be reviewed.

The unusual huddle late Thursday night came after the revival of high-level contacts between civil and military leaderships of Pakistan and the US.

Officials say the main opposition party, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has agreed to most PCNS recommendations. But now it’s looking for some kind of ‘face-saving’ to avoid possible anger from its rightwing vote-bank.

“It appears they are looking for excuses now,” a PCNS member said about the PML-N whose chief Nawaz Sharif met with ambassadors of the US and the United Kingdom earlier in the day.

It wasn’t clear if the government itself endorses the proposal of unplugging Nato supply routes which were blocked after last year’s Nato air raid in Mohmand Agency that killed 24 soldiers. PCNS Chairperson Senator Raza Rabbani parried a question on the issue.

Meanwhile, the US is not willing to call off the drone campaign and officials said two top American commanders made this clear in their Wednesday’s meeting with Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani.

The PCNS has decided to drop proposals seeking transparency about the presence of foreign intelligence operatives in Pakistan and parliamentary oversight of foreign military bases here.

No deadline

Rabbani told journalists that the committee will meet on a daily basis – even on Sundays – to complete a review of its earlier recommendations by April 5 before the next sitting of parliament’s joint session.

However, it’s not a binding deadline, Senator Rabbani said, hinting at possible further delays in the completion of the process.

Maulana Fazlur Rehman, chief of his own faction of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, said that fresh amendments would contain a holistic review of the foreign policy and might not be limited to one specific issue of Nato supplies.

Rehman, whose party had threatened to resist resumption of Nato supplies, said that it was good that the military establishment and Gen Kayani were not influencing the foreign policy review to have a decision of their choosing.

The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), a coalition partner of the PPP-led government, said that instead of misleading the nation, the government needs to be ‘brave’ and tell the people the truth about drone strikes and Nato supplies.

In a statement, MQM chief Altaf Hussain said, “On the one hand, a joint session of parliament is called to gain an opinion on drone strikes and Nato supplies, but on the other hand, drone strikes are continuing.”

He also noted that the government was silent on the March 30 drone hit as no statement was issued to “condemn, oppose or support” the strike. He added resources should not be wasted on meetings just for the sake of it.

Altaf said religious and political parties also maintained a ‘criminal silence’, despite their threats to ‘respond’ to a drone strike in the future. He linked these parties to “mice who go back into their hideouts when there is a drone strike.”

(With additional reporting by our correspondent in Karachi)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2012.

ISLAMABAD: They came. They idled. They produced little (or no) electricity.

And then, in a hard-hitting verdict on Friday, all rental power project (RPP) deals were declared ‘non-transparent, illegal and void ab initio’ by the apex court.

The court directed the National Accountability Bureau (NAB)  to proceed against all government functionaries involved, including the ministers for water and power during whose tenure the RPPs were approved or set up, and the minister and finance secretary holding charge when down payment for RPPs was increased from 7% to 14%.

Liaquat Jatoi and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf were water and power ministers in 2006 and 2008, respectively, while Shaukat Tareen was the finance minister in 2008, when down payment was increased.

A two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain heard the case on various dates. Authored by the chief justice, the 90-page verdict recommended initiation of legal proceedings against all those involved in these projects.

Accountability

Federal Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MNA Khawaja Muhammad Asif had challenged the RPP projects, contending that these plants were producing a meagre amount of electricity, despite billions of rupees having been spent on them.

The government’s attorney was unable to rebut the contention raised by the petitioners.

The verdict said that public-sector power companies and authorities, the federal government and the finance ministry are responsible for losses worth billions – by making 7% to 14% down payments to, and purchasing electricity on higher rates, from RPPs.

The court observed that the RPP policy was not defined on the basis of transparency and that the money should be recovered with outstanding mark-up.

Similarly, all functionaries of Pepco, Gencos and Nepra, along with sponsors who derived financial benefits from RPP contracts are, prima facie, involved in corruption and corrupt practices, the court said in its ruling.  They are, therefore, liable both for civil and criminal action, it added.

‘Total failure’

The court’s judgment said that RPPs’ mode of electricity generation has proved to  be ‘a failure’ and incapable of filling the gap between power demand and supply on a short-term basis.

Of the 19 RPP deals signed initially, only nine were allowed to function after a damning Asian Development Bank evaluation report. Subsequently, six of those nine RPPs were discontinued. They have returned the advance payments in pursuance of orders passed by this court, the judgment said.

The three remaining are producing a meagre amount of electricity, despite being paid billions: Karkey is generating 48.33 MW against a capacity of 231 MW, Naudero-I is generating 9.16 MW against a capacity of 51 MW and Gulf is generating 50.1 MW against a capacity of 62 MW. Neither of these three has returned their advance payments so far.

If these three are allowed to continue, further payments to them would be at the expense of the public exchequer with no corresponding benefit to the consumers, the verdict held.

All RPPs are collectively generating 120 MW of electricity, the judgment said.

Citing an example of the excesses in the RPPs scandal, the verdict said that Pakistan Power Resources (Piranghaib, Multan) did not generate electricity at all although $14.58 million was given in down payment, which has not been returned.

The court directed the government to improve the existing system of generation and transmission of electricity, instead, since the country has sufficient installed capacity which is not utilised due to bad governance and circular debt.

(Read: Rental power — SC verdict)

Published in The Express Tribune, March 31^st, 2012.

WASHINGTON: The US State Department, reacting to news that Osama bin Laden had lived at five different locations in Pakistan over the decade leading up to his death in the May 2, 2011 raid, maintained that they never found credible evidence which points towards a Pakistan support network for the al Qaeda supremo.

State Department spokesperson Mark Toner was asked during the daily briefing on Friday whether the Pakistan government was consistently lying to the US over bin Laden. The official responded “immediately after the Abbottabad raid, we asked the Pakistani Government the question of whether there was a larger network at play here or there was some kind of network of support, I guess, for bin Ladin when he was there.  We have not received any information that indicates that there was such a network of support there.”

Pressed on whether he believed that Pakistan had lied to the US, Toner responded, “I don’t believe so … we haven’t received any indications that indicate that there was some broader network, no.”

US drones while waiting for parliamentary review

As if to send a reminder to the political forces in Islamabad to adopt a more urgent attitude towards the Parliamentary review of ties with the US, an unmanned aerial vehicle had launched missiles in Miranshah, North Waziristan, killing at least four people.

Asked about the strike, Toner said that he did not have a comment for the early Friday morning strike, but that the US continues to await results of the review.

“That’s still ongoing.  But I think that in terms of our relations, we continue to have engagement at all levels within the Pakistani Government.  And we certainly respect the review process that’s underway and we look forward to the results, and then we’ll be willing to discuss some of the issues raised by that.  But as to this incident, I don’t have any comment.”

Meanwhile, a US government official, dispelling notions that the drone strikes were on hold till Pakistan completes its review, told Reuters on Friday that, “the United States is conducting, and will continue to conduct, the counter terrorism operations it needs to protect the US and its interests.”

KARACHI: Karachi observed its third day of mourning this week as violence continued to plague the city, taking the death toll to 14 in the last 24 hours.

The day of mourning had been called by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain, who had also urged the business community to support his call by keeping their businesses shut. Traffic was low and businesses remained shut for most of the day.

Earlier in the day, the chief justice of Sindh High Court had taken notice of the situation in the city and had asked DG Rangers and IG Police to file detailed reports.

Petrol pumps and businesses started to reopen and transport also started to run again after 5pm.

Hussain had also later thanked the citizens of Karachi for observing a “peaceful day of mourning.”

The recent wave of violence began after the killing of a man believed to be affiliated with the Awami National Party (ANP) on Friday evening. The man identified as Ashiq was shot at and injured in Qasba Colony, and later passed away in the evening. Three MQM supporters were also killed late Friday night.

Workers of both the MQM and ANP have been targeted this week, sparking a new wave of violence that has seen the city experience no activity and sporadic incidents of violence.

Rehman Malik visits Karachi

Meanwhile, Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik, on arrival in Karachi on Saturday, said that the city was being targeted in order to destabilise Pakistan.

Talking to the media at Jinnah International airport, Malik said that anti state elements were creating a law and order situation in the financial hub of the country, adding that MQM workers were being killed under a conspiracy.

“Innocent people also fell victim under the same conspiracy”, the minister added.

Malik further said that money extortion (bhatta), drug and land mafias were active in the city and contributed towards the violence.

Talking about the steps being taken by the Federal government, he said that Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani had taken notice of the situation and ordered immediate measures to improve the law and order in the metropolis. Malik hoped that the city’s situation would be improved very soon as strict actions were being taken against elements involved in the violence.

The minister also paid a surprise visit to violence prone areas, including Katti Pahari, Qasba Colony and Banaras. He appreciated the performance of Rangers and police, adding that he had directed Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) to take strict action against culprits.

Apprising the media on the number of arrests, Malik said the police had arrested 17 suspects while Rangers had arrested 38 suspects.

Orangi operation

Police, on the orders of Interior Minister, carried out an operation in Orangi and detained over half a dozen suspects during raids in Bukhari Colony early Sunday morning.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Akram Abro said the arrested were suspected of being involved in the Banaras bridge target killing incident.

End of live updates

4:15pm

Altaf Hussain has thanked the citizens of Karachi for observing a “peaceful day of mourning”.

He has also called on traders to resume their business.

3:50pm

Traders have announced that they will reopen businesses starting 4pm today.

The All Karachi Businessmen Association has announced that business centres will remain open tomorrow.

According to the chairman, Atiq Mir, out of nine working days they have only been able to work for three which has resulted in a loss of Rs20 billion, therefore markets will remain open tomorrow.

3:30pm

Petrol pumps and CNG stations will reopen by 5pm today.

2:00pm

Police arrested two suspects from the Site B area and are not sure if they were involved in the current wave of violence in the city. A 7mm rifle and a TT pistol were recovered from the two suspects, who were identified as Abdul Hanif and Mohammad Imran.

DIG West Imran Yaqoob’s office said that a case of negligence had been lodged against four policemen who were supposed to be performing their duty at Banaras bridge on Friday night, but had not followed instructions.

A high level meeting is scheduled to be held at the Governor House at 3pm, where the police chief Additional IG Karachi Akhtar Gorchani is expected to give a briefing.

1:15pm

Three workers of the Mohajir Qaumi Movement-Haqiqi (MQM-H) were shot at and wounded in the area of Landhi, where party leader Afaq Ahmed resides.

Gunmen opened fire at the party activists at 8:15 am as they were standing next to shops that the armed men were forcibly shutting down. According to the MQM-H, their workers, and not the store, were targeted.

MQM-H worker Atlfua from Korangi was shot in the head and is in a critical state. He was first admitted to the Korangi hospital and has now been shifted to Jinnah hospital. Two other workers, Liaqat Ali and Abdul Ghaffar alias Soni, were also shot at and are being treated at the Jinnah hospital.

Ahmed split from the MQM (then called the Mohajir Qaumi Movement) in the 1990s and formed his own faction of the party. He was released from jail on December 17, 2011 after serving seven years.

The funeral prayers of MQM supporter Kamaluddin, who was killed in the attack at the Benaras Pul, will be offered on April 1 at Mohajir Chowk, Orangi Town and not on Saturday, as earlier stated by the party.

1:10pm

Express News correspondents reporting from different parts of the city said that traffic was low and businesses remained shut.

Parts of Sindh including Hyderabad, Tando Allahyar and Mirpurkhas have also seen businesses shut in some areas and traffic has also been reported to be low.

The Hyderabad to Karachi traffic route is reported to be closed, while traffic going from Hyderabad to other parts of Sindh is low.

Tyres were burnt by miscreants in parts of Hyderabad in the morning today. There were also reports of members of a nationalist party forcing businesses to reopen, which resulted in a clash between two groups.

1:00pm

The Awami National Party’s Senator Shahi Syed, who heads the party in Sindh, is expected to arrive in Karachi today.

According to ANP Sindh Information Secretary Pir Riaz Gul, Shahi Syed has welcomed the raid by the Rangers on Friday on the ANP headquarters, the Bacha Khan Markaz, as nothing was recovered in the raid.

12:30pm

Four police officers who were present at Banaras bridge during the firing incident last night have been arrested. A case will also be registered against them.

11:30am

Petrol pumps are closed all over the city, while the security situation is reported to be volatile in the areas of Pak Colony, Nazimabad, Paposh, Korangi, Orangi, SITE, Gulshan-e-Iqbal, Shah Faisal Colony and Manghopir.

A total of 14 people have been killed in Karachi since Friday.

10:55am

Chief Justice of Sindh High Court, Musheer Alam on Saturday morning took notice of the chaos and worsening law and order situation in Karachi.

According to unofficial figures 430 citizens have been killed in incidents of firing during the first three months of 2012.

The chief justice of SHC has taken notice of the breakdown of law and order and resultant loss of lives in the city, said Registrar SHC Abdul Rasool Memon. The Director General Pakistan Rangers and Provincial Police Officer (PPO), commonly called Inspector General Police Sindh, were asked to file detailed reports by evening today, the registrar said.

CJ Musheer Alam is also the head of the monitoring committee formed on the orders of the Supreme Court of Pakistan in the suo motu proceedings held in August 2011.

10:50am

The MQM Coordination Committee has accused the Awami National Party of systematically killing Mohajirs, and has called on the Mohajir community to unite for the sake of its survival.

10:45am

The funerals of MQM supporters killed at the Banaras bridge in Karachi last night will be held at Zuhr today. The funerals of Waseem and Hasan will take place in Liaquatabad, Sami Kamal’s will be held in Orangi Town and Kamaluddin’s funeral prayers will be offered in Qasba Colony.

WASHINGTON: A federal court in Alexandria has sentenced pro-Kashmir lobbyist Dr Ghulam Nabi Fai to two years in jail and three years of supervised release.

In December 2011, Dr Fai had pleaded guilty to two charges, said the Department of Justice. The first charge was “to falsify, conceal and cover up material facts he had a duty to disclose in matters within the jurisdiction of executive branch agencies of the US government.” The second charge was “to defraud the Treasury Department by impeding the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the collection of revenue. “

Arrested in July 2011, Dr Fai, director of the Kashmiri American Council, had been accused of violating the Foreign Agents Registration Act. He has been accused of, and later pleaded guilty to, taking money from the Inter-Services Intelligence to run his US-based NGO. In December 2011, Dr Fai had admitted that from 1990 to 2011, he had received money from Pakistani officials including the ISI and the Government of Pakistan through the Kashmiri American Council.

A Department of Justice press release at the time had stated that Dr Fai could face a maximum sentence of five years on the conspiracy count, and three years for tax violation. Dr Fai had also agreed to forfeit his interest in $142,851.32 seized by the government in July 2011.

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has certified that countries that have been buying petroleum and petroleum products from Iran can decrease their purchases and rely on other countries instead.

“I will closely monitor this situation to assure that the market can continue to accommodate a reduction in purchases of petroleum and petroleum products from Iran,” said the US President in his certification.

However, the certification means that 23 countries including Pakistan, India and China may face sanctions in three months time, if they do not reduce their crude oil purchases from Iran.

A senior administration official told reporters that the US continues to talk to countries like South Korea, India and China to reduce their reliance on Iranian oil. The official added that the United States was “fully prepared” to go forward with these sanctions.

Earlier this month, a State Department official had explained these as being “against any transactions with the Central Bank of Iran by any financial institution, whether it’s private or public, related to the purchase of petroleum or petroleum products for Iran.”

According to Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorisation Act 2012, the US President had to certify by March 30, 2012, that despite price and supply conditions, countries that could switch from buying crude oil from Iran to other countries but have not done so would face sanctions.

If Pakistan and other countries do not reduce their crude oil purchases from Iran, sanctions against them may go into effect on June 28 of this year.

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had certified that 11 countries that are among the top importers of crude oil from Iran had significantly reduced their purchases, and hence would not face sanctions for a renewable period of 180 days.

While the State Department had not divulged the names of the 12 countries that could face sanctions, Reuters had at the time reported that these included Pakistan, India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Turkey.

WASHINGTON: US President Barack Obama has certified that countries that have been buying petroleum and petroleum products from Iran can decrease their purchases and rely on other countries instead.

“I will closely monitor this situation to assure that the market can continue to accommodate a reduction in purchases of petroleum and petroleum products from Iran,” said the US President in his certification.

However, the certification means that 23 countries including Pakistan, India and China may face sanctions in three months time, if they do not reduce their crude oil purchases from Iran.

A senior administration official told reporters that the US continues to talk to countries like South Korea, India and China to reduce their reliance on Iranian oil. The official added that the United States was “fully prepared” to go forward with these sanctions.

Earlier this month, a State Department official had explained these as being “against any transactions with the Central Bank of Iran by any financial institution, whether it’s private or public, related to the purchase of petroleum or petroleum products for Iran.”

According to Section 1245 of the National Defense Authorisation Act 2012, the US President had to certify by March 30, 2012, that despite price and supply conditions, countries that could switch from buying crude oil from Iran to other countries but have not done so would face sanctions.

If Pakistan and other countries do not reduce their crude oil purchases from Iran, sanctions against them may go into effect on June 28 of this year.

Earlier this month, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had certified that 11 countries that are among the top importers of crude oil from Iran had significantly reduced their purchases, and hence would not face sanctions for a renewable period of 180 days.

While the State Department had not divulged the names of the 12 countries that could face sanctions, Reuters had at the time reported that these included Pakistan, India, China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Taiwan and Turkey.

KARACHI: President Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari arrived in Karachi late on Friday night and held a meeting with Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah to discuss the recent law and order situation in the city.

Sources said that the Chief Minister briefed the President over recent spate of violence, target killings and extortion in the city.

The Bilawal House spokesperson avoided giving out a schedule of meetings that the President is expected to follow while visiting the port city. However, sources say Zardari is expected to meet with other senior party workers and officials to discuss the law and order situation of the city.

Zardari’s visit comes after Karachi has suffered some of the worst violence since the turn of the year with close to 25 people being killed, over 40 vehicles burnt in four days of violence.

On Thursday, Zardari and Muttahida Qaumi Movement chief Altaf Hussain had discussed the situation over a phone call and the President had assured he would chair a meeting to oversee progress in curbing violence in the metropolis.

After the murder of two of its employees in Mastung on Thursday, the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has closed its offices in five districts of Balochistan suspending all food distribution and agricultural support programmes.

Two UN workers identified as Habibullah and Mohammad Zahid were shot dead by unknown assailants when they were travelling from Quetta to Mastung on Thursday morning.

The Organisation is currently functioning in five districts of Balochistan include Qila Abdullah, Zhob, Loralai, Quetta and Mastung. All the districts are in the immediate vicinity of the Provincial Capital. “The offices are closed for two days in honour of to our slain workers. We will review the security situation on Monday and will decide to reopen the offices or not,” project manager David Doolan told The Express Tribune.

Answering a query about the security situation in Balochistan, Doolan said that the UN Agency is facing difficulties in Balochistan due to the lack of security and it is unfortunate that those who are working for the strengthening the community were being targeted.

The Food and Agriculture Organisation is working on agriculture, livestock and helping small farmers, mainly on enhancing food security in Balochistan.

The FAO officials are not the first international NGO’s to be targeted in Balochistan. Members of the International Red Cross, UNHCR, Balochistan Rural Support Programme (BRSP) and other organisations have been kidnapped from Quetta and other parts of the province over the past couple of years.

Most of the prestigious organisations working in interior Balochistan have already stopped their operations owing to security threats.

ISLAMABAD / KARACHI: Would any sovereign country allow another country to have a military base on its land, questioned Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Friday.

Speaking at a press conference in Islamabad, Nisar said the presence of a foreign military base in Pakistan, established during Pervez Musharraf’s government, was never objected to by the present government.

Commenting on the resolution of parliament’s policy over future terms of engagement with the US, Nato and Isaf, Nisar said that he and his party object to the clause regarding the presence of a foreign base in the country, along with some other clauses.

“Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and other stakeholders also agreed with my point and said this is doable,” he added.

Nisar further said many other clauses of the resolution were very good for the country and should be implemented.

He, however, said that the problem is not with passing this resolution but with its implementation.

“We agree with the resolution wholeheartedly but we are only concerned about its implementation,” Nisar said, adding that many such resolutions have been passed in the past but they are not implemented yet.

Criticising media for presenting him as a hindrance in the way of this resolution, Nisar said he is only against the humiliation of Pakistan and not the resolution.

“We want guarantee that this resolution will be implemented,” he reiterated.

Nisar added that “people who are criticising us now for causing delay, will criticise us again when the parliament will fail to implement it.”

GENEVA: Over 100,000 people have fled fighting between government troops and Taliban or al Qaeda-linked militants in northwest Pakistan since January 20, the UN refugee agency said Friday.

“An estimated 101,160 people, mostly women and children, have become displaced since January 20 when government troops began security operations against militant groups in the Khyber” tribal district, said the UNHCR in a statement.

The agency warned that a recent increase in the intensity of combat was pushing even larger numbers of families to flee the region to Jalozai camp, located close to Peshawar.

An average of 2,000 families have been arriving daily at the camp since March 17, said the UNHCR.

“New arrivals say that they have left their homes because of the proximity of fighting and due to instructions by the authorities to evacuate the area,” it added.

Pakistan’s seven tribal districts near the Afghan border are rife with homegrown insurgents and are strongholds of Taliban and al Qaeda operatives.

Militants have killed almost 5,000 people across Pakistan since government troops raided an extremist mosque in Islamabad in July 2007.

ISLAMABAD: Osama bin Laden fathered four children as he hid out in Pakistan after the 9/11 attacks, his youngest wife told interrogators, according to a police report seen by AFP on Friday.

Amal Abdulfattah’s account provides rare details of the al Qaeda leader’s life from when he fled Afghanistan in late 2001 until his death aged 54 last May during a US Navy SEAL operation in Abbottabad, in Pakistan.

Abdulfattah, from Yemen, was arrested by Pakistani authorities following the US raid on bin Laden’s compound near the Pakistani capital Islamabad, along with two of his Saudi wives, and her five children.

The three detained widows face charges of illegally entering and residing in Pakistan. Abdulfattah, 30, was shot while trying to protect her husband, according to the US.

The police report, dated January 19, said Abdulfattah was born into a family of 17 children and married bin Laden because “she had a desire to marry a Mujahedeen”, using the term for “holy warrior”.

The report, from the office of the inspector general of police in Islamabad, recommended Abdulfattah and her children be immediately deported.

After arriving in Pakistan in July 2000 on a three-month visa, in the company of her sister and brother-in-law, Abdulfattah travelled to Kandahar, in neighbouring Afghanistan, at the time capital of the Taliban regime.

The date of her marriage to bin Laden was not specified, but the police report said afterwards she moved in with him and his other two wives.

“She further revealed that after the incident of 9/11, they all scattered and she came to Karachi with one of her daughter’s, Safia,” the report said. Safia, her first child by the al Qaeda kingpin, was born in Kandahar in 2001.

She stayed in Karachi for eight to nine months, moving between homes arranged for them by Pakistani families and bin Laden’s oldest son Saad.

Abdulfattah then met back with the fleeing bin Laden in Peshawar. The report suggests that the pair did not part from that moment until the raid in Abbottabad.

They stayed for eight or nine months in Swat, then for two years in Haripur, 90 minutes from Islamabad, before moving to the garrison town of Abbottabad in 2005.

During this time, Abdulfattah had four other children by bin Laden, by then the most-wanted man in the world.

In Haripur, Aasia, a girl, was born in 2003 and Ibrahim, a boy, was born the next year.

On both occasions Abdulfattah gave birth in a public hospital, the police report said.

The other two children, Zainab, a girl, and Hussain, a boy, were born in Abbottabad in 2006 and 2008.

According to the report, the family movements while they were on the run were organised by “Ibrahim and Abrar”, two Pakistanis given responsibility for the task by members of al Qaeda.

Both the men were killed by the Americans during the raid on Abbottabad and had been living in the same compound, along with Ibrahim’s wife, Bushra, and bin Laden’s son, Khalid.

The continued detention of bin Laden’s wives has led to accusations that Pakistan is attempting to muzzle them to stop them from providing details that could embarrass Islamabad or add to suspicions it knew where bin Laden was.

Pakistan was humiliated by the covert American operation that killed the al Qaeda leader in the early hours of May 2, practically on the doorstep of the country’s elite military academy.

WASHINGTON: A United States military officer stated that if Pakistan fails to reopen Nato supply routes, the US will have to rely on the Northern Distribution Network (NDN).

Addressing the Readiness Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday, Marine Corps Lieutenant General Frank Panter, the Deputy Commandant for Installations and Logistics told lawmakers that relying on the NDN are expensive propositions.

He added that negotiations with Pakistan regarding reopening of supply routes are still going on.

If Pakistan’s ground routes are not reopened for Nato supply, Lt Gen Panter said the re-deployment timelines will also increase.

Deputy Chief of Staff for Logistics Army Lieutenant General Raymond Mason told the subcommittee that “Pakistan’s ground routes are critical and they have been closed since November. The good news is that our logistic situation is in very good shape, because of good planning”

“The NDN is three to four times more expensive, because it is three to four times lengthier,” he added.

Correction: Due to a transcription error, Marine Corps Lieutenant General Frank Panter’s comments incorrectly stated that Nato supply routes would be re-routed through India. The error is regretted.

KARACHI: With violence in the city showing no signs of abating, the latest episode claimed lives of at least nine people including a police constable and an Awami National Party (ANP) worker. It also prompted the Muttahida Qaumi Movement to declare a ‘day of mourning’ in the city for Saturday.

ANP worker Hidayatullah Mehsud, a member of the ANP Sindh Council was killed in the Manghopir area of Karachi on Friday. This was the second targeted killing of ANP workers in over 48 hours.

However, the sequence of violence seemed to intensify late on Friday after four people traveling in a car on Banaras bridge were shot and killed early Saturday morning.

Taking notice of this incident, the AIG Karachi Akhtar Gorchani issued directives to DIG West, Karachi, that all police officers on duty on, or near the Banaras bridge be arrested.

Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Manzoor Wasan has directed all Station House Officers to patrol their designated areas.

The dead were identified as Arif, Kamal, Wasim and his 12 year old son, Hasan. Another person was injured in the same incident.

In another incident a man was shot and killed in Frontier Colony in Site, while another man was killed by gunfire in Bukhari Colony in Orangi.

One person lost their life during firing incidents in Defence Phase two. Another was killed near U-P mor.

Meanwhile, one man was injured in firing in near Dhoraji.

There were also reports of intense firing from Shahrah-e-Noorjehan, Kati Pahari  and Qasba Colony. Further reports of firing were received from block 13-D of Gulshan-e-Iqbal.

On Friday evening, unknown assailants attacked SSP Crime Branch Farooq Awan near Lasbela Chowk. As a result, his guard, head constable Imran Baloch received fatal bullet wounds.

His dead body was shifted to Civil hospital.

Earlier on Wednesday, Zainul Abideen, the joint secretary of ANP Patel Para Ward, was killed near the Intermediate Board Office.

The city has experienced a wave of violence this week as workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) were also targeted. Both parties had announced days of mourning, which saw Karachi experience no activity and sporadic incidents of violence.

MQM declares Saturday ‘day of mourning’

With the death toll continuing to climb, MQM chief Altaf Hussain in a message called for a day of mourning be observed in the city on Saturday.

He urged the business community to support his call by keeping their businesses shut.

The Karachi Transport Ittehad, which represents public transport in Karachi, have decided to keep their vehicles off the streets today.

Meanwhile, the All Private Schools Association announced that all private schools will remain closed in the city.

Qasba Mor: ‘Wanted criminal’ killed in shootout between groups, 12 arrested

In the aftermath of a shootout between two groups, a wanted criminal, Ashiq Afghani was killed and two others were injured. A vehicle was also set on fire.

After the incident, the situation became tense and all shops in the area were shut down.

Soon afterwards a heavy contingent of police, rangers and FC surrounded Kati Pahari, Qasba Colony, 1C area and Bukhari Colony.

Searching door to door, the forces arrested more than a dozen suspicious persons in these areas.

According to SP Site, Akram Abro the person killed was wanted by the police for charges of murder and attempted murder.

QUETTA: A complete shutter-down strike was observed in Quetta on Friday to protest against Thursday’s killings of five people, including a woman of the Hazara community.

At least five people were gunned down on Thursday morning while six others were injured, when a van carrying people belonging to the the Hazara community was ambushed on Spini road.

The Hazara community continued their protest for the second consecutive day by staging demonstrations.

Addressing a news conference at Hazara Graveyard, the Vice President of the Shia Conference said that police have rounded up several people of the Hazara community during a peaceful protest. “We will not bury the bodies until the arrested Hazara people are released,” he said.

The strike call was given by the Hazara Democratic Party (HDP), Shia Conference and backed by Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party (PMAP), Jamhoori Wattan Party (JWP) and other nationalist parties condemning the incident.

Trade and business activities in Quetta remained at a halt. All shops, trading centers, retailers  and commercial establishments on Prince Road, Masjid Road, Liaquat Bazaar, Joint Road, Saryab Road, Alamdar Road, Hazara Town, Marriabad, Abdul Sattar Road, Zarghoon Road and others were closed.

Traffic remained thin and all street bore a deserted appearance.

Stringent security measures have been put on place with the heavy deployment of Frontier Corps (FC), police and other law enforcement agencies to thwart any unpleasant incident.

The Hazara community had staged a protest at the graveyard demanding an immediate arrest of culprits involved in targeted killings of the Hazara community.

The angry protestors burnt tyres on Eastern Bypass and raised slogans against the government and law enforcement agencies for their failure to protect the life and property of people.

A police official Mukham Raza was also killed during the violent protests triggered by the killings yesterday.

Police have rounded up dozens of suspects so far during their investigation.