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Gilani issues ‘veiled threat’ to judiciary
Fonseka challenges Rajapaksa’s
Media tycoon murder: Nepal minister’s remarks rile India
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Musharraf hints at return to
Pak politics
London, February 16 Former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf, settled here on self-exile, has hinted at a return to Pakistan politics if the voters of his country decided.
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Gilani issues ‘veiled threat’ to judiciary
In a startling statement that triggered a fresh controversy escalating tensions generated by the standoff between the Presidency and the judiciary, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani has said that his executive order reinstating Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry and other deposed judges on March 16 last year still needed validation by Parliament. Reacting rather sharply to an earlier fiery speech by the leader of the opposition Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the National Assembly, the Prime Minister said: “If you want to hear controversial things, then I want to tell you that Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and other judges, who were restored through my executive order, still need to be endorsed and validated by Parliament.” Gilani’s statement evoked countrywide denunciation by former judges, eminent jurists and political leaders as a veiled threat to the judiciary by warning them that they could be sent home packing if he withdraws the executive order. He repeated his contention that he had not restored judges under pressure of massive long march organised by lawyers and political parties with PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif leading the protest. “Let me assure you that had the long march of March 16 reached Islamabad, it would only ousted our government and unveiled the democratic order but judges would still not have been restored,” Gilani observed and went on to underpin the fact that his executive order was still not legally valid because it needed endorsement by Parliament. Gilani’s statement came in the midst of deepening gulf between the government and the judiciary that took an ominous turn on Saturday evening when President Asif Zardari moved Lahore High Court Chief Justice Khawaja Sharif to the Supreme Court and replaced him with next senior most judge Saqib Nisar. The Supreme Court reacted sharply and suspended that notification within two hours declaring it as in violation of the constitution because the appointments were made without a binding consultation with the Chief Justice. The episode has triggered countrywide protests and rallies by lawyers and equally strong reaction from the Pakistan People’s Party in support of President Zardari. It also tension between country’s two main political parties, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaza (PML-N). Workers of the PPP burned effigies of Nawaaz Sharif denouncing his statement that Sharif is the biggest threat to democracy. In certain cities rival groups also clashed with each other.
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Fonseka challenges Rajapaksa’s
Colombo, February 16 In the petition, filed through his lawyers, former army chief Fonseka, who is now under detention, challenged the outcome of the elections and charged Rajapaksa, Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake and 20 others with rigging the vote and electoral malpractice. The petition sought a determination from the apex court that the election of President Rajapaksa at the recent Presidential election was void. Fonseka, who lost the vote, alleged that he was robbed of victory because of rigging, electoral malpractice and undue influence of the government on the electorate. His petition contended that state media was also misused and malpractices had taken place at polling booths and counting centres. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Fonseka's son-in-law Danuna Tillakaratne was not known so far, the Daily Mirror Online quoted a police official as saying. When asked if Tillakaratne could have left the country, the official said he has not received any information to that effect and that the Criminal Investigations Department is probing his whereabouts to arrest him, the online said. A court here has issued a warrant for his arrest. — PTI
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Media tycoon murder: Nepal minister’s remarks rile India
India has said it is surprised at the reported statement of Nepal’s Minister for Information and Communication Shankar Pokharel that Nepal’s controversial media tycoon Jamim Shah was killed due to tension between India and Pakistan. Just a day after Pokharel, who is also a government spokesperson, said Shah’s murder could be a result of underlying tension between India and Pakistan, the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu reacted to the media reports by issuing a statement on Tuesday. According to the statement, no information to substantiate the reported statement by Pokharel has been provided by the Government of Nepal to the Indian Embassy. Talking to journalists, Pokharel said on Monday that Muslims were becoming target of tension between India and Pakistan. Last week, Shah, who has always remained under controversy of having nexus with Indian underworld dons and Pakistan’s ISI, was shot dead in broad daylight in Kathmandu. Meanwhile, the Nepal police has arrested a sub-inspector, who served as A security liaison officer at the US Embassy in Kathmandu, on the charge of sharing security information with assailants.
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Musharraf hints at return to
Pak politics
London, February 16 Stating that he loved his country, the former President said: "I would do anything for Pakistan." The retd general who was replaced last year in elections after nine years as the President was speaking at a meeting at the Chatham House, a think-tank, here. Musharraf, who ousted the elected government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in 1999, said: "For Pakistan one would be prepared to do anything. However, it is for the people of Pakistan who need to decide." "I'm a civilian now, I'm not a military man, I cannot take over anything," a reference to his seizure of power while Army Chief from Sharif, the former military ruler said in a lighter vein. "I have to come through the political process and the elections. But I think it's very good because I think I will have that legitimacy which I never had," he said. Musharraf did not say if he has decided to return to Pakistan to face trial over his 2007 detention of judges as he clung to power. — PTI
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Mush grateful to Facebook Major quake hits Indonesia 
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