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contempt case
Nelson Mandela put on South African money
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Obama to felicitate Sen
Afghan women fear return of the Taliban
3 Indians charged for stabbing Reddy
Republican Race to White House
Lovestruck factory in UK!
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contempt case Islamabad, February 12 Ahead of his court appearance, Gilani, 59, said he would resign if the apex court convicts him in the case over his refusal to reopen graft cases against Zardari in Switzerland. Gilani said his conviction by the apex court would automatically result in his disqualification as an MP. “Certainly, then there is no need to step down. If I am convicted, then I’m not even supposed to be a member of Parliament,” Gilani told Al-Jazeera channel in an interview. If convicted, Gilani could be imprisoned for six months and face possible removal from office after being disqualified from holding public office for five years. Dealing a major blow to Gilani, Pakistan’s apex court headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry on Friday had rejected his appeal against framing of contempt charges over his failure to act on its repeated orders to revive cases of alleged money laundering against Zardari. Gilani personally appeared in the court when it took up the contempt case on January 19 and said the government could not reopen the cases against the President because he enjoys complete immunity in Pakistan and abroad. Refusing to buy his arguments, the court told Gilani that he had no option but to write to Swiss authorities to revive graft cases against Zardari as no one was above the law. Gilani said during the interview that the “merit of the case” against him has to be discussed. Asked if he believed he would go to jail, Gilani replied that he did not “think it will happen like this as you have visualised”. The premier reiterated that he had not written to Swiss authorities to revive cases of alleged money laundering against Zardari as the President had immunity not “only in Pakistan” but “all over the world”. Gilani pointed out that Zardari was elected the President in 2008 by members of the two houses of Parliament and the four provincial assemblies and that “there was no objection at all at that time”. Insiders in the ruling Pakistan People’s Party today said the premier is expected to stick to this position when he appears in court again tomorrow. However, legal experts pointed out that the President had the power to pardon him after his conviction. SM Zafar, a noted lawyer and parliamentarian, said such a presidential pardon would apply only to the punishment handed down by the court while the conviction would remain on record. Therefore, the premier could be disqualified despite the pardon, he remarked. The apex court has been pressuring the government to reopen the cases since December 2009, when it struck down the National Reconciliation Ordinance, a graft amnesty issued by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf that benefited Zardari and over 8,000 others. The PPP has been reluctant to act because top leaders believe any action on the cases in Switzerland could give the Supreme Court an opportunity to interpret the constitutional provision related to presidential immunity. —
PTI
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Nelson Mandela put on South African money
Pretoria, February 12 He said Mandela’s release in 1990 after 27 years in prison for fighting apartheid “marked the beginning of a new era of hope for our country and the world.” Zuma described Mandela, as an “outstanding leader and patriot” that represented a group of exceptional men and women who demonstrated their love for South Africa in a time of repression. Reserve Bank Governor Gill Marcus said Mandela, who does not make any public appearances since his retirement to his home village in Qunu, had been informed and was “delighted” about it. South African bank notes are upgraded every seven to 10 years in a bid to fight counterfeiting. The new note series in R10; R20; R50; R100 and R200 denominations, each in a different colour, will feature an engraving of the former President with the reverse side continuing to show the country’s big five animals.
— PTI
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Washington, February 12 US President Barack Obama would felicitate Sen, 78, with the 2011 National Humanities Medal, along with others, the White House announced. “By applying philosophical thinking to questions of policy, he has changed how standards of living are measured and increased our understanding of how to fight hunger,” the White House said as it announced the list of awardees. The First Lady would also attend the awards ceremony for the 2011 National Medal of Arts and National Humanities Medal scheduled tomorrow. The 2011 National Medal of Arts would be awarded to Will Barnet, Rita Dove, Al Pacino, Emily Rauh Pulitzer, Martin Puryear, Mel Tillis, United Service Organization and Andre Watts. The 2011 National Humanities Medal will be given to Kwame Anthony Appiah, John Ashbery, Robert Darnton, Andrew Delbanco, National History Day, Charles Rosen, Teofilo Ruiz, and Ramon Saldivar, besides Amartya Sen. Amartya Sen won his Nobel Prize for economics in 1998 for his studies of the roots of poverty. —
PTI
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Afghan women fear return of the Taliban
Kabul, February 12 When the Taliban were in power from 1996 to 2001, when they were overthrown by a US-led invasion, women were subjected to particularly brutal repression. They were whipped in the street by the thugs of the religious police if they wore anything other than the all-enveloping blue or white burqa. Girls were not allowed to go to school and women were not allowed to work. Fear reigned in the capital, with women accused of adultery among those regularly executed in public at a sports stadium after Friday prayers. Now, with the Taliban preparing to open an office in the Gulf state of Qatar ahead of possible negotiations with Washington, Afghan women want their voices heard. “We fear the Taliban return to power,” said Shukria Barakzai, a legislator from Kabul in the lower house of parliament. “There should be no deal between the Afghan government and the Taliban.” Barakzai said she objected to the US-backed idea of a Taliban office in Qatar, saying any talks should be held within Afghanistan and women should have a place at the negotiating table. —
AFP
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3 Indians charged for stabbing Reddy
London, February 12 “We are not treating the incident as racially motivated at this time, “a police spokesperson told PTI on Saturday. The three will appear at the Thames Magistrates’ court on Monday, the police said. Earlier, 11 persons were arrested. External Affairs Minister SM Krishna had spoken to the acting High Commissioner in the UK Rajesh Prasad, asking him to extend all possible help to Reddy, who was stabbed several times. Krishna also spoke to Andhara Pradesh-based businessman Sudhakar Reddy, father of Praveen, assuring him of all help in getting visa. They also said that High Commission officials in the UK were coordinating with the doctors treating Praveen and MEA officials in Delhi will take up the matter with the British High Commission to ensure expeditious issuance of the visa to his parents. —
PTI
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Republican Race to White House New York, February 12 In Maine, Romney, the former Massachusetts governor, secured a tight win over Texas congressman Paul in that state’s Republican presidential caucuses, taking 39 per cent of the vote to Paul’s 36 per cent. Last Tuesday, Romney had lost the primaries in Minnesota, Colorado and Missouri to former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, dramatically reshaping the Republican primary race for the White House. Santorum himself came in second in the poll of attendees at the much watched Conservative Political Action Conference, with 31 per cent of the vote compared to 38 per cent for Romney. Romney’s campaign released a statement after the Maine results were announced, thanking the state’s voters and continuing to tout his conservative principles. Romney said the voters of Maine “sent a clear message that it is past time to send an outsider to the White House, a conservative with a lifetime of experience in the private sector, who can uproot Washington’s culture of taxing and spending and borrowing and endless bureaucracy.” Though Romney will not be awarded delegates from the wins, the Maine results could be mirrored at a state convention in May where the state’s 24 delegates will be awarded.
— PTI
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Romance has clearly blossomed at the Love Hearts factory in Derbyshire to the extent that it now puts it in the running for “most romantic workplace in Britain.” Swizzels Matlow, the confectionery company that makes the sweets, claims that 122 of its 500 workers are in a relationship with each other. The family firm, which is based in the North Derbyshire town of New Mills, released the data just a few days before St Valentine’s Day, the key selling period for the little sweets. But Swizzels Matlow suggested anyone who questioned the motives behind releasing the figures were hard-hearted cynics. “I think it’s a lovely story that so many people met here. We knew anecdotally that many were either married to each other or going out with each other, but we just did a quick ask around to find out how many were together. It’s a very close-knit place,” Jeremy Dee, director of the company was quoted by the Daily Telegraph as saying. The company makes 200m Love Hearts every year, each with a message such as “I Love you” or “All mine”. It is not the only company to boast of its ability to bring people together. Bill Gates, the world’s second richest man, met his wife Melinda while working for Microsoft. At Southwest Airlines 2,416 of the 37,000 employees are married to each other. Many of the couples met while working for the airline and Southwest was so pleased with its matchmaking role, it uses LUV as its stock market symbol. More than 100 MPs have family members on the payroll, with many employing their spouse as a secretary or assistant. Steven House, 46, a factory employee, met his girlfriend Laura Garlik, 38, at the same workplace. Their eyes met across the production line of Double Dips, a type of confectionery produced in the factory. “It’s a very relaxed atmosphere, you can have a laugh,” Garlik said. — PTI
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Beleaguered Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani will appear before the Supreme Court tomorrow to face contempt charges that could decide his fate and plunge Pakistan into a fresh political turmoil over his refusal to reopen graft cases against President Asif Ali
Zardari. Ahead of his court appearance, Gilani, 59, said he would resign if the apex court convicts him in the case over his refusal to reopen graft cases against Zardari in Switzerland.
Washington, February 12
London, February 12