U.S. to establish consulate in Pakistan's Balochistan not allowed

ISLAMABAD, Aug. 5 (Xinhua) -- Pakistan's security agencies and the Foreign Ministry have opposed opening of American consulate to be set up in southwestern Balochistan province over security concerns, reported local Urdu TV channel Dawn on Friday.
According to the report, U.S. ambassador in Islamabad Cameron Munter is making efforts for the opening of the consulate in Balochistan.
Munter visited Quetta, the provincial capital on Thursday, and said Balochistan is very important to the United States.
The U.S. has long been anxious to open consulate in Balochistan, which borders Afghanistan and Iran, but the move has been opposed by Pakistani security agencies and the Foreign Ministry.
The Foreign Ministry has sent its report to the Interior Ministry over reservations and concerns about the U.S. consulate, said Dawn, adding that the security agencies are also not giving the required clearance despite fresh moves by the incumbent U.S. ambassador.
The U.S. had made a request to the Pakistani government to open consulate in Balochistan, arguing that it would oversee development projects in the province.
American media has reported on several occasions that the proposed consulate was likely to have a sizable CIA presence. Apart from espionage worries, the security agencies had also expressed security concerns about the presence of an American diplomatic facility in Balochistan.
Last year, the Pakistani law enforcement agencies had arrested two Pakistani employees of the U.S. consulate general in Karachi while traveling in the port city of Gwader in Balochistan.
The fresh move came just few days after Pakistan imposed travel restrictions over the movement of American diplomats and they are required special permissions to go to other cities.
Two groups of U.S. diplomats were recently sent back from the outside of northwestern city of Peshawar, who had no permission to enter the area.
The U.S. State Department said that negotiations are taking place with Pakistan to resolve the issue.
Pakistan insists that there are no special curbs on the U.S. diplomats, but all diplomats have been given guidelines because of their security.

Every effort will be made to restore law and order in Karachi: Malik

KARACHI: Interior Minister Rehman Malik has ruled out any compromise to restore law and order in Karachi.

He was talking to media after presiding over high level meetings with those dealing with law and order. He also met with Home Minister Sindh Manzoor Wassan.

"We will not spare any body" and that action against criminals would be taken without any discrimination. He said that soon those arrested will be brought before the media persons and tell their modus operandi and on whose directions criminal actions took place.

Speaking on the occasion, Home Minister Manzoor Wassan said that all efforts were being made to bring normalcy in Karachi and other parts of the province with the help of Federal Government. 

Altaf urges people of Karachi to remain calm

KARACHI: Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) chief Altaf Hussain on Thursday appealed to the people of Karachi to remain calm, DawnNews reported.
Through a video message, Mr Hussain asked the people of Karachi to remain peaceful at all costs and continue the dialogue process with other political and religious parties.
He said that due to attacks from extremists, the city could suffer from a situation like that of Qasba Colony. He also asked the people to collect and store ration.

Moreover, the MQM chief thanked the Rangers for their operation to rid the city of criminal elements.

MQM stages walkout in NA over Karachi, Quetta situation

ISLAMABAD: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) staged walkout from the National Assembly (NA) over worsening law and order situation in Karachi and Quetta. At least 30 people have been killed in less than 48 hours in Karachi.
MQM members protested when Pakistan People's Party (PPP) lawmaker Abdul Qadir Patel said that MQM Haqiqi is also a reality of Karachi adding that a large number of their activists have been killed. This statement invited the anger of MQM parliamentarians.
As the proceedings began MQM lawmakers left the house saying they were promised that Karachi and Quetta situations would be debated in the session, later Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members persuaded them back.
MQM's Haider Abbas warned that if Karachi problem was not resolved in 48 hours the government would be responsible for the consequences. PML-N's Rana Tanveer noted that the authorities concerned did not seem interested in resolving the matter.
Pakistan People's Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) Chief Aftab Sherpao called for forming a parliamentary committee to probe Karachi crisis. Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani in his speech said we are ourselves migrants how come we don't respect them. Later, the house was adjourned till tomorrow.

No operation taking place in Karachi: Malik

Refuting reports of any operation in Karachi, Interior Minister Rehman Malik on Wednesday again made it clear that the government would take strict action against miscreants in Karachi.

During a quick chat with Journalists, Rehman called upon the people to inform the police and rangers about miscreants so as to take targeted action.

Rehman Malik also advised the Karachiites to cooperate with the law enforcers for taking action against the miscreants.

Malik further said that the reservations of Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s chief Altaf Hussain regarding the situation in Karachi were legitimate and that the government would act against criminal elements operating in the city.

Malik said restoring peace in Karachi was necessary.

Govt to take stern action against miscreants in Karachi: Malik

Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said that government is fully determined to take stern action against miscreants and outlaws who want to destabilise the country. “Everything has a limit, enough is enough, we are going to take extra-ordinary measures to restore peace and normalcy in Karachi,” he said while talking to media persons after presiding a high level meeting at the National Crisis Management Cell (NCMC) here on Tuesday. The meeting was attended by Acting Director General Rangers (Sindh), Brig. Zafar Iqbal, IGP Sindh Wajid Ali Khan Durrani and Home Minister Manzoor Wassan. Rehman Malik said that 26 people were killed in various parts of the city on Monday by terrorists who targeted all including Urdu, Pushto and Seraiki speaking people. “We are committed to take action with force against the law breakers,” he maintained. Malik said that government will not allow anti-state elements to destabilise the country and added that ‘people know who are the miscreants’.

Target Killing: Political trio decides to take MQM on board

ISLAMABAD: In a bid to formulate a strategy to bring peace to Karachi, the political troika of the coalition government — President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani and Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain — met at the Presidency on Monday night and decided to take the MQM on board for a political solution.

The meeting decided to send Interior Minister Rehman Malik to Karachi to hold meetings with all the political parties on the issue.

The meeting is important as it was held at a time when the government and the main opposition PML-N came against each other and it was the first time that Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani adopted a harsh tone against the PML-N. Interestingly, Interior Minister Rehman Malik was being sent to Karachi at a time when a debate on the Karachi situation was to be kick-started in the National Assembly today (Tuesday). Sources said there was an agreement between the coalition partners to remove reservations of the MQM leadership.

It was also agreed that the Sindh government should remove the concerns of MQM on the local government system in the province. “Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain asked the president to play his role as an elder and help bridge the differences between leaders of different mainstream parties of Sindh,” sources said.

They said it was also decided that the PML-N would not be given an opportunity to take political mileage from the Karachi situation and efforts be expedited to bring the MQM back into the coalition government by removing all its reservations.

Official announcement of the Presidency about the meeting, however, restricted itself to just stating that issues related to coalition parties in parliament today, the current political situation, coalition matters and law and order situation in Karachi were discussed at the meeting.

End.

Imran urges SC to try Centre for contempt

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan has urged the Supreme Court to charge the federal government with contempt for not implementing 18 major judgments and said the PML-N’s stronghold, Lahore, will turn into a PTI stronghold in the next general election.

He was addressing a press conference on the occasion of the launching of PTI’s “Jaag Utho” campaign — a virtual movement on Facebook (www.facebook.com/jaagutho) to motivate the youth against oppressive rule in Pakistan. The press conference was held at a local hotel in Gulberg here on Sunday.

“The present democracy is a mere eyewash. The government is itself damaging the cause of democracy by violating the verdicts of the Supreme Court,” Imran said. “But the people of Pakistan will stand by the Supreme Court which is struggling to implement rule of law without any discrimination. The PTI will lead the way and support the Supreme Court for the supremacy of law in the country,” he added.

Imran announced that the PTI would stage a sit-in in support of the SC on the Constitution Avenue every Saturday from Iftar to Sehr, beginning on August 6, 2011. “We will have Iftar together and offer our prayers on the road,” Imran said.

He said the country’s youth had decided to get rid of the corrupt system being patronised by corrupt leaders, who had different laws for the powerful and weak. “This is no longer a contest between right or left but a war between right and wrong,” Imran said. “The PTI won’t ever join hands with the political mafia or accept corrupt and opportunist politicians into the PTI’s fold in this war against the status quo. This political mafia is keeping its assets abroad in order to hide corruption and evade taxes,” he added.

To a question about the PML-N’s announcement that it would wage a war to ensure the implementation of SC verdicts, he said the PML-N should stop defrauding the people, and if it was serious about defending the Supreme Court, it should immediately resign and force the government to hold early elections in the country.

“We will never join hands with the PML-N, which had ditched the All Parties Democratic Alliance (APDM) over the issue of the Supreme Court,” he added. To a question regarding his party’s prospects in the next elections, Imran said the PTI would not just win but sweep the next general election. He also claimed that the PML-N’s stronghold Lahore would turn into a PTI stronghold in the election. “The PTI will beat Nawaz Sharif in Lahore even if he plays with his own umpires,” the cricketer-turned-politician using cricketing terms said.

To another question about the PTI’s stance on joining hands with a group of politicians led by Jehangir Tareen, he said the PTI would accept only clean politicians within its fold and said he would himself go to all clean politicians like Jehangir Tareen to ask them to join hands with the PTI to oust the corrupt regime, which has doubled Pakistan’s debt within three years in power.

In connection with the PTI’s “Jaag Utho” campaign, Imran said that the PTI would hold a virtual rally on Facebook on August 14, bringing the youth together on a single platform to raise their voice against the corrupt system in the country. “This virtual rally will then lead to a physical rally on the streets of Pakistan,” he said, adding that the PTI had also launched an SMS campaign (80022) against the corrupt system and to get support in favour of a truly democratic and just system in the country.

Earlier, PTI Punjab President Ahsan Rasheed, Secretary General Dr Yasmin Raashid, Central Information Secretary Umer Cheema, and Punjab’s Information Secretary Andaleeb Abbas also spoke.

Sohail Ahmed appointed Secretary Narcotics Control

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has appointed former Secretary Establishment Sohail Ahmed as Secretary Narcotics Control, Express 24/7 reported on Monday.

Sources say the prime minister has approved Ahmed’s appointment.

The former secretary establishment had earlier been made Officer on Special Duty (OSD) after he had issued a notification ordering the transfer of Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Inspector-General of Police Hussain Asghar, a grade 20 officer, back to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as director, after the directives from the apex court.

Sources said that Sohail Ahmed reappointed Hussain Asghar to the FIA without the permission of Prime Minister (PM) Yousaf Raza Gilani.

He added that Ahmed was not bound to inform the PM or seek his permission. But the PM removed Ahmed, who took over the post on July 8 and made him an OSD

Gilani had defended his decision to remove the Establishment Secretary by saying that Sohail Ahmed had undermined his authority.

The Supreme Court had declared the government notification on Ahmed being made OSD null and void and ordered his reinstatement within seven days.

Violence claims eight more lives in Karachi

KARACHI: Eight more people, including two activists of the Awami National Party (ANP), were killed on Sunday in the ongoing targeted violence that started last week. After a brief pause on Saturday night, the killings once again resumed on Sunday morning from the Surjani Town area when two bullet-riddled bodies were found there.

Police said they received information that two bodies had been found in a vehicle parked in Sector-7C, North Karachi, at the Northern Bypass. A police mobile rushed towards the spot and shifted the bodies to a hospital.

They added that unidentified criminals had tortured the deceased persons badly before killing them and later threw the bodies in the area. During investigation, the deceased were identified as Bacha Rehman and his nephew Sajjad Khan.

Both were activists of the ANP, attached to the Khwaja Ajmer Nagri ward, and were residents of Surjani Town. As the news of the incident reached the area, tension developed there and armed men resorted to aerial firing, forcing traders to shut down their businesses.

Moreover, in the same area, a group of armed men started firing on people in the streets, injuring three persons, including a teenage boy. The injured were rushed to a hospital where all the three succumbed to their injuries. Police said one of the deceased was identified as Tahir, 32, while the other two remained unknown.

Soon after the incident, violent activities intensified in Surjani Town and stretched to two more of its areas, Taisar Town and Khuda Ki Basti, where armed groups clashed and openly used firearms. Two shops were also torched in Taisar Town.

Meanwhile, police teams of District West, under the supervision of SSP Asif Ijaz Sheikh, reached the area and launched a crackdown against the criminal elements.

The SSP, while talking to our sources, said he, along with his district force, entered the disturbed localities and ordered his subordinates to nab those involved in violent activities. He called the elders and influential people of the area, who informed the police that five people were killed by a group, operating under the supervision of Naveed alias Master Naveed.

The SSP said taking notice on people’s complaints, he immediately directed the force to conduct raids at the hideouts of Master Naveed. After various raids, the police arrested Master Naveed from the Surjani Town area after an encounter and recovered two repeaters, 1 SMG, 9mm pistols and hundreds of bullets from his hideout. The police have shifted the accused to an unknown place for investigation. Ijaz Sheikh said that after Naveed’s arrest, peace was restored to the area and he had ordered the district police to establish pickets in the disturbed areas to avert any untoward situation.

SSP Sheikh said on information from Master Naveed, the District West police conducted raids and arrested four more suspects with arms and ammunition. He added that the police were now grilling those arrested. Moreover, they were also searching for the owner of the house who had provided shelter to the four suspects. Separate FIRs have been lodged and investigation was underway.

Also on Sunday morning, another bullet-riddled body was found from the Pak Colony area. Police said the body was lying near the Kabari Market in Shershah. They added that the deceased, who was of about 25 years of age and was badly tortured before being shot dead, could not be identified. The case was reported at the concerned police station.

A bullet-riddled body of a man was found from the Pakistan Bazar area on Sunday morning. The body was found near the Millat School in Sector-18A, police said and added that the deceased was brutally tortured and then killed with firearms. The case has been reported at the police station.

Later, in the afternoon, two armed men gunned down a passerby near Urdu Bazar in the Arambagh area. Police said on investigation from eyewitnesses, it was found that a motorcycle stopped near the Urdu Bazar Chowk and two riders shot dead the third person who was with them. They dropped his body there and fled.

The Arambagh police said the identity of the deceased was still unknown, adding the case had been reported and investigation was underway. The situation in the city was tense till our going to the press. The killings brought the number of dead to more than 320 in the month of July, the highest death toll in a single month in about 20 years.

End.