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Pak asks SC to stay ban on Sharifs
Zardari in patch-up mode
CIA chief in Pak
Prabhakaran, son spotted
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Armed clashes claim 21 lives in Russia
NRI fights for right to funeral pyre
Iran ‘willing to change’ if US modifies stance
Ex-Bangladesh dy speaker held Portal: Manmohan beats Zardari
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Pak asks SC to stay ban on Sharifs
In a significant move, the federal government has asked the Supreme Court to stay the operation of its earlier ruling to ban former premier Nawaz Sharif and brother Shahbaz Sharif from holding any public office.
The stay, if granted, would return the Punjab government to Shahbaz Sharif, putting to rest current speculations about power equation in the province pending review of the verdict for which the government has already filed four review petitions. Deputy Attorney-General Agha Tariq requested the court to fix an early hearing of the petitions which is expected on March 25. The government move came amid intense political activity focused on the current power tussle in Punjab. Sharifs made a surprise move to cancel luncheon invitation to Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, president of rival faction of Muslim League called PML-Q and former chief minister Punjab Shahbaz Sharif fixed for Saturday. Instead, he invited Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani for lunch on Sunday after the PM held a long telephonic conversation with him in a bid for reconciliation between the PPP and the PML-N. Both parties were in coalition in the province that collapsed following the court’s verdict against Sharif brothers and President Asif Zardari’s precipitate action to impose governor’s rule in Punjab on February 25. Senior PML-N leader Khawaja Asif accused Chaudhry cousins of holding covert meetings with President Zardari and others to form a PPP-PML-Q coalition in the province. He said both cousins had been conspiring with the PPP for the past several months to topple PML-N government in Punjab. The court verdict of February 25 and imposition of governor’s rule were part of this conspiracy that was thwarted by massive display of people’s power on March 16 that compelled President Zardari to restore deposed judges and promise government appeal for review of disqualification verdict. He said two days later the Chaudhry cousins again met Zardari and sought promulgation of a presidential ordinance to restrain a 33-member forward bloc of the PML-Q from supporting the
PML-N.
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Zardari in patch-up mode
Islamabad, March 21 As part of ongoing efforts to mend fences with the opposition PML-N, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani is expected to meet Nawaz Sharif tomorrow to discuss ways to restore political stability in Punjab. Governor’s rule was imposed last month in the wake of the February 25 Supreme Court order banning the Sharif brothers from contesting elections and holding public offices which led to the removal of Shahbaz as Punjab Chief Minister. With Chief Justice Abdul Hamid Dogar retiring today, Iftikhar M Chaudhry, reinstated after a nationwide anti-government agitation, is all set to resume his duties as CJ tomorrow. Addressing a function to bid farewell to the outgoing Chief Justice, Zardari said the restoration of judges sacked in 2007 by then President Pervez Musharraf during emergency, “should be seen as another step in the evolutionary process of strengthening institutions” in Pakistan. “It is time to look forward and build on what has been achieved. It is time to forget the past. It is time to move on,” he said.
— PTI
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Islamabad, March 21 Panetta, the first high-ranking American official to be in Pakistan after the recent political turmoil here, is scheduled to meet interior ministry chief Rehman Malik and may also meet other top dignitaries, including the army chief. According to Pakistani officials, Panetta’s agenda includes issues relating to war on terror, situation in the tribal areas and the NWFP and Pakistan’s probe into the Mumbai attacks. The CIA chief’s visit was unannounced keeping in view his security. Panetta flew into Islamabad after concluding his hectic visit to India. His visit to Pakistan comes amidst media reports from the US that American officials are beginning to question the long-term prospects of President Asif Ali Zardari. The WSJ said Panetta had been sent to guide the Obama administration in fashioning a new US Pakistan policy amid a political upheaval there which had left Zardari significantly weak. “He (Zardari) has quietly supported US missile strikes against militants in Pakistan and it isn’t clear whether the new power centres in the country will be as cooperative,” the officials told the paper. Panetta is expected to meet the chiefs of the ISI agency and Pakistan Intelligence Bureau. — PTI
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Prabhakaran, son spotted
Civilians fleeing the LTTE head areas in Puthukudiyiruppu in the northern Sri Lankan Mullaithivu district have said they have sighted the elusive LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran and his son Charles Anthony Seelan several times in recent days in the areas no-fire zone declared by the government for escaping civilians. The civilians had said at most times the two are hiding in an underground bunker but have emerged form time to time in the area, the Defense Ministry said today. The two had spent time with non-cadres of the LTTE and told them of the importance of rising up against the government forces. Prabhakaran and Charles Anthony had been clad in non-military attire and had mixed easily with the civilians but had been always surrounded by heavily armed special bodyguards, the civilians had told army personnel. Meanwhile, troops claim that they have nabbed the driver of Pottu Amman, the intelligence chief ad deputy leader of the LTTE. The driver had told interrogators that he had escaped from the Tiger leaders and hidden himself in the area when the army had caught him.
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Armed clashes claim 21 lives in Russia
Makhachkala, March 21 At least four militants died overnight in the mainly Muslim region, neighbouring Chechnya, which has a tradition of rebellion against rule from Moscow. Five policemen were killed since clashes started on Thursday and 12 other rebels were killed outside the regional capital of Makhachkala. The Internal Ministry and the local FSB state security service said they were aiming to eliminate a band of militants, operating 30 km south of Makhachkala. It appeared to be the biggest such security operation in the North Caucasus for several months. “The group committed several crimes in two regions in Dagestan,” province’s Interior Minister Adilgirei Magomedtagirov told reporters.
— Reuters
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NRI fights for right to funeral pyre London, March 21 Devender Kumar Ghai, from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, is in poor health and his final wish is to die in the knowledge that his son will be allowed to set ablaze an open-air pyre that will consume his body and liberate his soul. “I have lived my entire life by the Hindu scriptures. I now yearn to die by them and I do not believe that natural cremation grounds — as long as they were discreet, designated sites far from urban and residential areas -— would offend public decency,” Ghai said. “My loyalty is to Britain's values of fairness, tolerance and freedom. If I cannot die as a true Hindu, it will mean those values have died too,” he claimed. Ghai has lived in Britain since 1958 and is the founding president of the Anglo-Asian Friendship Society. — PTI
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Iran ‘willing to change’ if US modifies stance
Tehran, March 21 Speaking a day after Obama offered Tehran a “new beginning” to turn back the tide on decades of mutual animosity, Khamenei said Iran was yet to see any change in Washington’s attitude towards Tehran. “We have no experience with the new American government and the new American president. We will observe them and we will judge. If you change your attitude, we will change ours,” Khamenei said in an address to thousands of Iranians in the holy city of Mashhad which was broadcast on state television. Tehran, he said, had yet to see any change in US policy towards Iran. “We cannot see any change. What is the change in your policy? Did you stop supporting the Zionist regime? Change only in words is not enough,” Khamenei said.
— AFP
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Security for G20 summit to cost £10 million 1st nuke-free zone Michelle’s way to go green Source: Agencies
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