Staff Report

Kuala Lumpur: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has demanded report from the Defense Ministry over appeal of two accused in Musharraf attack case, SAMAA reported on Thursday.

Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chauhdry led a three-member bench of the Supreme Court conducted hearing of the case regarding attack on former president Pervez Mushraaf.

During hearing, the Supreme Court issued instructions, over appeal of two accused nominate in the case, to the Defense Ministry that complete record of military courts’ verdicts should be presented before the court within next two weeks. SAMAA

Staff Report

Kuala Lumpur: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Jamat-e-Islami have agreed today to launch ‘remove PM, hold polls’ campaign across the country, SAMAA reported on Thursday.

Owing to the agreement over removal of the current regime, the PML-N and Jamat-e-Islami have stopped their activists of giving statements against each other while both parties’ leaders are exchanging views over the demands and agenda of the campaign.

Three leaders from each party are included in the consultation group. Raja Zafar-ul-Haq, Parvez Rasheed and Khwaja Saad Rafiq from the PML-N and Liaqat Baloch, Farid Paracha and Mian Maqsood from the Jamat-e-Islami are included in the consultation process.

After finalization and reaching on consensus from both sides, these demands will be forwarded to the PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and Jamat-e-Islami head Munawar Hassan for approval.

According to the Jamat-e-Islami sources, both parties will form joint demand and agenda but their modes and areas of protest will be separate while activists of both sides would be urged to attend the protest rallies. SAMAA

Staff Report

Kuala Lumpur: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leader Chauhdry Nisar Ali Khan has said today that the Supreme Court verdict, announced by seven judges, has been mocked by National Assembly Speaker’s ruling, SAMAA reported on Thursday.

According to the opposition leader’s opinion, the NA Speaker has not used his post properly while the legal and constitution needs have been also undermined.

The PML-N leader has said this day that the rulers are constantly mocking court decisions for last four years and now the Speaker of the Parliament has also joined them.

While replying a question, Ch. Nisar said that names of Justice (retd) Fakhruddin G Ibrahim, Justice (retd) Nasir Aslam Zahid and Justice (retd) Shakirullah Jan have been rendered for appointment as the chief election commissioner of the country. SAMAA

NOTTINGHAM: England captain Andrew Strauss has warned his side to expect more difficult days ahead as they seek to wrap up a series victory over the West Indies.

Strauss’s men go into the second leg of a three-match series, which gets underway at Trent Bridge here on Friday, with a 1-0 lead after a five-wicket win at Lord’s.

But the West Indies took England, the world’s leading Test side, into the fifth day at Lord’s and twice made them stumble in pursuit of a victory target of 191.

“It was very hard work (at Lord’s), that’s always the case with Test match cricket,” Strauss told Sky Sports at Trent Bridge here on Thursday.

“Often it’s hard work to get on top of the opposition and often it’s hard work to nail that final nail in coffin.

“The West Indies put up a really good fight, there’s times when they made life difficult for us and we were relieved to a certain extent to get over the line and win that game, but we’re also aware we have to do it again this week if we want to win,” added opening batsman Strauss, who ended his 18-month wait for a Test century at Lord’s.

Alastair Cook (79) and Ian Bell (63 not out) saw England to victory at Lord’s after they were in trouble at 57 for four, while the first Test was a personal triumph for seamer Stuart Broad, who took 11 wickets in the match.

“That target was tricky and there was a time when we were under a bit of pressure and Alastair Cook and Ian Bell dealt with that very well, and that’s very important,” said Strauss.

“There were some really good performances from our side.

“Obviously Stuart Broad bowled exceptionally well, most of the batters got a score in the game, so I think we’re feeling in pretty good form heading into this match.

“But as I said before, we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves, it’s going to be very hard work this week, and matches here are always hard fought.”

While England ponder whether to alter their seam attack, after all-rounder Tim Bresnan managed just one for 144 at Lord’s, the West Indies will be forced into at least one change.

Fast bowler Shannon Gabriel, who took four wickets on debut at Lord’s, was subsequently ruled out of the rest of the series with a back injury.

His absence could see the return of fellow quick Ravi Rampaul, who would have played at Lord’s but for a neck problem.

“Last year-and-a-half Ravi has been the guy who always takes wickets with the new ball for us,” said West Indies captain Darren Sammy.

“The way Kemar Roach is bowling and the inclusion of Ravi, that could be a very good combination for us.”

And the tourists — who in 22 matches against Nottinghamshire and England dating back to 1906 have never lost a first-class fixture at Trent Bridge, a run including four wins and four draws in eight Tests — could recall off-spinner Shane Shillingford.

The Dominican was left out at Lord’s, despite taking 10 wickets in his previous Test against Australia on home soil in Roseau last month.

But Sammy said he could return as West Indies look to improve on a record of just two wins in their last 31 Tests.

“Most definitely, we’ll consider playing Shillingford,” Sammy said.

“Looking at our attack, playing on flat pitches over the last year or so, a spinner has always been in our line-up, and we’ve gone with the two quick men and myself (a medium-pacer), and that has been successful for us.

“So we’ll definitely consider that and hopefully we can go out there and take 20 wickets against England.” AGENCIES

MONTREAL: Nearly 700 people were arrested overnight in rowdy demonstrations in Montreal and Quebec over a planned hike in student tuition fees with rocks being hurled at police, a spokesman said Thursday.

Police in Montreal had said the unsanctioned protest would be tolerated if there was no trouble but after some unruly behavior around midnight they moved in and arrested 518 demonstrators. Another 170 people were detained in Quebec.

All were issued with a more-than $600 fine and released on Thursday morning, the police spokesman said.

Several thousand demonstrators had poured into Montreal’s central square late Wednesday for the rally, defying a law passed last week requiring organizers to notify authorities eight hours ahead of public demonstrations.

Of those arrested in Montreal, 506 were held for unlawful assembly but among the other 12 detentions one person was held for “armed aggression,” two others for assaulting police, and one more was detained for wearing a mask.

Protesters said they were handcuffed and their arms held behind their back, local media reported.

Demonstrations have raged in Montreal since mid-February over a plan by provincial Premier Jean Charest and his Liberal Party to raise tuition fees at Quebec universities by 82 percent, or $1,700, over five years in order to rein in a budget deficit.

Some of the demonstrations have turned violent, with store fronts smashed.

The conflict escalated on Sunday with more than 300 overnight arrests after the passing of the controversial new law governing demonstrations.

Bill 78 prohibits freedom of assembly anywhere in the francophone province without prior police approval and requires protesters to give the authorities eight hours’ notice before an event and follow a planned route.

Rather than quelling the unrest, it appears to have made things worse for the embattled premier.

The crisis has already felled one cabinet member, education minister Line Beauchamp, who said she was quitting politics altogether because she had “lost confidence in the goodwill of student leaders.”

Tens of thousands of demonstrators ignored their official itinerary on Tuesday as they took to the streets of Montreal to mark the 100th day of the movement.

“People are backing the students because Charest went too far,” said Jacques Hamel, a sociology professor at the University of Montreal. “It’s a threat to fundamental rights, freedom of expression, freedom of association.”

After nine years in power, Charest hoped an initially popular hike in fees might boost his dismal poll numbers, but months of building protests coupled with disapproval for the new law appear to have had the opposite effect.

A poll released on Tuesday by the Journal de Montreal found an 18 percent shift in favor of the students, compared to a poll taken 10 days previously.

The QMI/Leger Marketing survey still showed the students trailing the government by eight points on the central question of who respondents supported, but the momentum has clearly turned.

Some 53 percent of respondents agreed that Bill 78 went “too far,” while 32 percent judged it to be fair and eight percent believed it didn’t go far enough. AGENCIES

Staff Report

Kuala Lumpur: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif made a telephonic contact with Awami Tehrik chief Ayaz Latif Palijo on Thursday assuring that his party would not let Sindh be divided at any cost.

Nawaz Sharif expressed solidarity with Palijo over Sindh issue.

Palijo’s Awami Tehrik launched a rally against the Muhajir province and peace in Lyari and other areas of Karachi few days ago. But unknown miscreants created troubles in the rally, killing some 12 people and injuring more than 30.

After that incident, Palijo and his party has received so many sympathies from the country’s politicians.

Nawaz also demanded action against the elements involved in bloodshed occurred on the rally day and also on May 12, 2007. SAMAA

Staff Report

Kuala Lumpur: Awami National Party (ANP) Sindh chapter’s chief, Senator Shahi Syed, has said that split of Sindh cannot be tolerated and they will work together with all nationalist parties, SAMAA reported on Thursday.

Sindh United Party (SUP) General Secretary Shah Muhammad Shah visited Mardan House this day and invited the ANP to attend all parties’ conference on May 29.

After rendering invitation, the SUP leader said on the occasion while addressing a joint press conference with Shahi Syed that the MAY 29 all parties’ conference is meant to fail the conspiracy of Sindh split as divide of Sindh can shatter the integrity of the whole country.

Senator Shahi Syed accepted the invitation of MAY 29’s all parties’ conference and said that they will work along with the other nationalist parties.

CAIRO: Egypt’s first open leadership contest looks better managed than an earlier parliamentary vote, making it harder to influence the outcome by hustling voters, stuffing ballots and other abuses, an election observer said on Thursday.

The state election body has toughened oversight of polling stations and improved voting and counting procedures since the legislative vote that ended in January, said election specialist Ossama Kamel, a consultant to several international groups.

“We have seen a lot better control of campaigning on election day than during the parliamentary vote when there were lots of violations,” he told Reuters in an interview on the second and final day of first-round voting.

“People are not there with their laptops this time, telling people where to vote and, by implication, who to vote for.”

The Muslim Brotherhood in particular was criticised for its laptop-wielding ushers during the parliamentary election.

Even as the first-round presidential vote got under way on Wednesday, many Egyptians still seemed undecided, tempting to rival campaign camps to pull out all the stops.

Some have bussed citizens to polling stations or campaigned nearby in violation of the rules. Accusations of vote-buying, in cash or kind, common in Mubarak’s day, have also resurfaced.

“Vote-buying doesn’t happen on the day in the polling station,” said Kamel. “It happens in voters’ homes or in meeting places like the mosque and you can have no control over this.”

He faulted the election committee for doing too little to explain to people where and how to vote and for long delays in issuing official badges to foreign and local election monitors.

But he said he was more confident that ballot boxes could not be tampered with this time round, and that polling station workers were better prepared to catch abuses.

“The system has been improving a lot and I think they have listened more to international advisers … who came with measures to enhance the process,” he said.

During the parliamentary vote, he said, veiled women were able to vote multiple times by concealing their identities.

“The lady now has to reveal her face and take her glove from her hand to reveal the ink stain,” he said, explaining voters had to show an inky finger to retrieve their identity cards.

Twelve candidates were competing in the first round, with two Islamists and two former Mubarak officials among the top contenders for the two places in a probable run-off in June.

The Islamists suspect their opponents of distributing favours using the deposed leader’s old patronage networks.

Critics accuse the Muslim Brotherhood and other Islamists of securing votes partly through handouts to the poor and bringing their activists to lobby voters right outside polling stations.

Kamel said ballot rigging was now harder than in the parliamentary election, itself a huge improvement on the routinely rigged polls of the Mubarak era.

He cited a new technique ensuring that only one genuine national identity card number is associated with each vote.

However, under new rules, representatives of accredited monitoring groups have complained that they are barred from commenting on the election before the results are announced.

Fewer international groups are monitoring the vote than during the parliamentary election, whose final stage was overshadowed by a judicial crackdown on several civil society groups accused of receiving illegal foreign funds.

The election committee has accredited 9,700 monitors from 54 foreign and local groups for the presidential election. AGENCIES

Staff Report

RAWALPINDI: General Khalid Shameem Wynne, Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee conferred the award of HILAL-I-IMTIAZ (Military) to Brigadier General (Sea) Mohammad Bin Nasser Mubarak Al-Shakairi Al-Mohannadi, Commander of Qatar Emiri Naval Forces.

According to an Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) press release Gen. Wynne conferred the medal to Qatari Naval Chief at Joint Staff Headquarters Chaklala Rawalpindi, on behalf of President of Islamic Republic of Pakistan for his services in bringing the two Naval Forces closer and improving the relations between Qatar and Pakistan therein.

Brigadier General (Sea) Mohammad Bin Nasser Mubarak Al-Shakairi Al-Mohannadi conveyed his thanks to the People, Armed Forces and Government of Pakistan for the recognition of his contributions towards furthering the bilateral ties and defense cooperation between Qatar and Pakistan.

Staff Report

Kuala Lumpur: An employee of Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was arrested at the Benazir Bhutto International airport on Thursday after one kilogram of heroin was found hidden in his shoes and cap during a flight to Birmingham.

The arrested man was identified as flight steward M. Javed.

He was caught red handed while checking process. The heroin was found when his cap dropped down suddenly.

He was handed over to the Anti-Narcotics Force (ANF) for further investigation and action. SAMAA

Kuala Lumpur: The speaker of Pakistan’s national assembly on Thursday quashed efforts to disqualify Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani over a court conviction.

Gilani was found guilty of contempt by the Supreme Court last month over his refusal to ask Swiss authorities to re-open corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.

Under Pakistan’s constitution, anyone convicted of defaming or ridiculing the judiciary is barred from being an MP. The speaker has to refer any disqualification process to the election commission.

“I am of the view that the charges… are not relatable to the grounds mentioned (in the constitution),” said Fehmida Mirza, who is a member of Zardari and Gilani’s Pakistan People’s Party.

“No question of disqualification of Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani from being a member arises,” she added.

The Gilani case has been highly politically charged, with members of the government accusing judges of over-stepping their reach and of trying to bring down the prime minister and president before the government becomes the first in Pakistan to ever complete an term in office.

The allegations against Zardari date back to the 1990s, when he and his late wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto, are suspected of using Swiss bank accounts to launder about $12 million allegedly paid in bribes by companies seeking customs inspection contracts.

The Swiss shelved the cases in 2008 when Zardari became president.

Gilani insists the president has full immunity, but in 2009 the Supreme Court overturned an amnesty that had frozen investigations into the president and other politicians. AGENCIES

Staff Report

Kuala Lumpur: Pakistan Foreign Office has said that there are many options including going to the UN Security Council and moving International Court of Justice against missile strikes in the country, SAMAA reported on Thursday.

Foreign Office Spokesman Moazzam Khan said during weekly briefing in Islamabad this day that Pakistan did not expect any big breakthrough in Chicago Summit but still attended that on NATO invitation.

Pakistan intends to help the world for maintaining law and order in Afghanistan and just for the sake of Afghanistan we went to attended NATO Summit in Chicago, he added.

While talking on missile attacks, the FO spokesman said that these missile strikes are illegal and against the sovereignty and autonomy of Pakistan.

Moazzam Khan said regarding Dr. Shakil Afridi that the verdict has been given in accordance with Pakistani law and the world should pay respect to the courts of Pakistan.

The US senators have talked of extortion money over NATO supply issue, not the US government, so we do not want to comment over those, he added.

Moazzam said while replying to a question over missile strikes that the location and usage of neighboring country’s soil for launch of missile strikes in Pakistan is not known.

“Talks are underway between Indo-Pak foreign secretaries over terrorism, visa policy, imprisoned fishermen and other issues,” the FO spokesman added. SAMAA

Staff Report

Kuala Lumpur: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader and Sindh Information Minister Shazia Marri said on Thursday that the people talking about the Muhajir province and those who writes slogan for the province on walls are cowards.

While talking in an event here at a local hotel, the minister said that the refugees live everywhere in the world but nowhere have they ever demanded a separate province. SAMAA

Staff Report

Kuala Lumpur: National Assembly Speaker Dr. Fehmida Mirza said on Thursday that there is no question of Prime Minister Gilani’s disqualification.

The speaker decided not the send the disqualification reference against the premier to the Election Commission (EC).

On the other hand, the EC speaker has summoned the copy of decision.

In Dr. Mirza’s five page ruling, she observed that charges against the Prime Minister were not relatable to the grounds mentioned in paragraph (g) or (h) of clause (1) of Article 63, therefore, no question of disqualification of Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani from being a member arises under clause (2) of Article 63 of the Constitution.

Charges against the PM were also discussed during the ruling. SAMAA

Staff Report

GUJRANWALA: A 10 year old housemaid girl was tortured and thrown away on a road here on Thursday.

Sobia, the girl was found critically injured, unconscious from roadside in Ghakhar area.

She was taken to civil hospital where doctors were also surprised after seeing her critical condition.

There were fractures and burn signs on her body, sources told SAMAA.

The volunteers of Edhi Foundation found an unconscious 11-year old housemaid lying by roadside in Ghakhar area of Gujranwala.

The injured girl was rushed to District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ) Gujranwala. DMS Dr Sohail said that bones of limbs and hands of the girl were smashed due to brutal torture.

After the injured returned to senses, she told that she used to work as housemaid at a bungalow for last one and a half years and she was tortured by the house owners.

However, other details regarding parents and location could not be ascertained as she again went unconscious due to pain and fear.

Child Protection Bureau Gujranwala took the girl into custody and has approached the court for action against the responsible. SAMAA