Nawaz: Memo issue if not resolved will be taken to SC Zardari selling sovereignty of Pakistan

Pakistan Times: President Pakistan Muslim League-N Muhammad Nawaz Sharif has given ultimatum to President Asif Ali Zardari to conduct and complete inquiry into the controversial memo delivered to the US Admiral Mike Mullen by Pakistan’s envoy to US Husain Haqqani within nine days, otherwise warned that he will take the scam to the Supreme Court.While addressing a big gathering at Dhobi Ghat ground here on Sunday said that delivery of memo and and seeking support of the US against the armed forces is a matter of shame and alleged “the present regime wanted to put Pakistan’s army under the US control”. Apart from the venue of the public rally all the roads of the city had been decorated with banners and boards of party leaders. Party workers from Jhang, Toba Tek Singh, Chiniot, Sargodha, Sheikhupura, Kasur, Okara, Sahiwal, Nankana Sahib and Lahore also participated in the gathering.Mian Nawaz Sharif accused the President of selling out country’s sovereignty only to safeguard his interests.He warned that certain politicians were carrying forward the old game of agencies in the country, but the PML-N is conscious of their designs. He compared the current era to his tenure as prime minister. He said today industries were being closed in the absence of gas and electricity while industry was growing and motorways were being made during his tenure.He said today India and Sri Lanka were far ahead of us. “Had the PML-N government not been toppled Pakistan would easily have become Asian tiger with the continuation of effective policies,” he claimed.About the assets declaration slogan of PTI chief Imran Khan, the PML-N chief said that those who talk of assets should also talk of nationalisation in the Bhutto tenure when the Sharif family’s industries were nationalised along with other industries. Nawaz said his father opened six more industries being a patriotic Pakistani.Referring to Imran’s slogan of change, Nawaz said “they talk of change, but PML-N has already brought change.”“We brought change when we set up motorways, when we opened new industries, when we raised the national flag by detonating six nuclear devices in response to five tests by India, after resistig six phone calls from Clinton,” Nawaz said.The PML-N chief said Punjab government’s performance had been flawless. He said Shahbaz Sharif deserved a salute for “eradicating the virus of dengue” across the province.Referring again to Imran Khan’s statement at Lahore rally that the two main parties (PML-N and PPP) are hand in gloves with each other to loot the country, Nawaz said it is all baseless. “Don’t tell lies for God sake. Remember that our family has rendered tremendous sacrifices for Pakistan. We saw our businesses taken over under Bhutto’s nationalisation. We saw our ancestral home occupied in Musharraf’s tenure. Had we been conniving with the PPP, we would not have launched the long march for the restoration of judiciary.”Nawaz said that early on the PML-N showed leniency to the PPP government because it wanted to give the government a fair chance to serve the masses. But, Nawaz said, the PPP government disappointed them. The PML-N chief promised soft loans to the youth of the country once he got back into power. He said the PML-N government would change the lot of the country.Earlier, addressing the gathering, Ch Nisar Ali Khan challenged President Asif Ali Zardari to hold a rally at the Dobi Ghat matching the PML-N’s rally.Referring to Imran Khan’s statement that he would bowl out both PPP and PML-N, Ch Nisar said Imran should know a bowler cannot take two wickets with one delivery. However, if umpires are with Imran, then he can take three wickets, he added.Ch Nisar repeatedly mentioned of the unseen forces allegedly helping Imran Khan’s PTI. He called Imran a bubble on the political waters of Pakistan. He said if Imran was serious on his assets declaration slogan, then why not take the matter to the Supreme Court.Earlier, Makhdum Javed Hashmi addressing the public gathering threw light on current situation of the country, including the role of dictators in ruining the country.Addressing the rally, Sa’ad Rafique said today’s rally was against the corrupt regime of Asif Zardari. “The country got freedom but the fruit never reached the masses, national institutions are near collapse.”

Read More

PML -N to offer Qureshi key party slot

(Pakistan Times)  Sensing an opportunity to gain significant ground in south Punjab and upper Sindh, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President Nawaz Sharif is likely to offer former foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi a “key slot” in his party when the two meet this week.

A PML-N insider told The Express Tribune on Sunday that Nawaz Sharif and other key leaders of the main opposition party were “desperate” for an opening in the remote southern parts of Punjab and upper Sindh and they believed that Qureshi was their best bet.

“Mian Sahib and the people he trusts have realised that an opportunity has come their way in the person of Qureshi … it looks like they will go to any lengths to grab it,” he said.

It is not clear what position Sharif would offer Qureshi. The PML-N is due to choose new office bearers for its Punjab chapter in a couple of weeks.

Qureshi belongs to Multan district in south Punjab, the so-called ‘Seraiki belt’ where the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has long overshadowed the PML-N. He quit both the PPP and his National Assembly seat a week ago, citing differences he had with President Asif Zardari earlier this year.

The former foreign minister is being wooed by both the PML-N and Imran Khan’s Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). But while Sharif is to meet directly with Qureshi on November 22, Khan is not scheduled to meet him before the former minister announces his political future at a public rally in Ghotki, Sindh, on November 27.
With Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan claiming that former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi would announce that he is joining the PTI at a public meeting on November 27 in Ghotki, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif is going all out to keep Qureshi away from the PTI and mutual friends are being pushed to attract him to the PML-N, Pakistan Today learnt on Friday. Khan recently said in a talk show that Qureshi would be announcing his decision to join the PTI at the public meeting in Ghotki.
Interestingly, Qureshi has opted to remain silent over his future ambitions and with the date of his Ghotki public meeting approaching, he has left for Dubai to keep analysts guessing. “Qureshi is an old friend. We haven’t met as yet but we’ve spoken over the phone and will meet very soon,” Sharif had told reporters at Sukkur airport on Thursday. PML-N sources claim that the meeting will be held on November 22, however no one was ready to confirm the meeting on the record. A PML-N source told Pakistan Today that his party chief thought Qureshi joining the PTI would give a huge boost to Imran Khan’s party, which would further dent the diminishing popularity of the PML-N and the only way to stop Qureshi was to use personal contacts. However, the source said further that there were irritants in Qureshi’s way into the PML-N and the biggest of those was Makhdoom Javed Hashmi. “Both Hashmi and Qureshi are arch rivals and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and Javed Hashmi were working on an alliance on both constituencies of the National Assembly falling under Qureshi. Gilani wants to field his brother or son in one of the constituencies while the other would be decided by Hashmi. This is also in the knowledge of Qureshi and he had conveyed his concerns to Shahbaz Sharif in his last meeting,” said the source.
The source said that Qureshi was also mulling over reviving his own faction of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and he had also contacted PPP-SB leader Ghinwa Bhutto, urging her to field her daughter Fatima Bhutto against the Zardari-led PPP. However, the source said Ghinwa had dropped the proposal.
An associate of Qureshi told The Express Tribune that his meeting with Sharif would likely take place in Multan on Tuesday. MPA Abbas Raan said Nawaz’s youngest son Hassan Nawaz, had conveyed to family members of Qureshi his father’s desire to meet Sharif at the family residence in Multan, known as Bab-ul-Qureshi, Daulat Gate.

Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, a senior PML-N leader from Multan, backs Qureshi’s entry to the party, said a PML-N colleague of his. He said that Hashmi had opposed Qureshi quitting the PPP, but believed he would be an important leader for the PML-N.

Another associate of Nawaz Sharif said Hashmi had conveyed his support for Qureshi joining the party to the top PML-N leadership.

However, sources in the party said that there was still one hurdle to Qureshi being offered a significant position.

They said that the Khosa family of Dera Ghazi Khan, who have been allied with the Sharifs for a long time, would not like to see another major leader from the south Punjab region in a key position in the PML-N. Sardar Zulfikar Khosa is president of the PML-N’s Punjab chapter.

Read More

BISE announces Inter Part-I error-free result -- Is it true

The Lahore Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education on Saturday re-announced the Intermediate Part-I result. The result was earlier announced on October 17, and after the massive protests by students against enormous errors in the results and Result Late (RL), the Punjab government cancelled the results of all eight boards of the province. The government had ordered to recheck the result and re-announce within 45 days.
The BISE announced the result, claiming it ‘error free’. According to the provincial education minister the other boards of Punjab will also announce their revised results within 45 days.
The Lahore board organised a special ceremony at board’s examination center wherein Punjab Education Minister Mian Mujtaba Shuja-ur-Rahman, Lahore board chairman Dr Allah Bakhash and other senior officials addressed on the occasion.
According to the revised result, total 124,702 students took the Intermediate Part-I exam and 62,647 of them passed it. Earlier, the board declared 49,435 candidates as pass. The pass percentage in the revised result has gone up to 50.26 per cent from the previous 39.64 per cent.
According to the revised results, Government College University pre-engineering student Muhammad Umar stood first by securing 493 marks.
Zamad Gilnai of Government College University got first position in pre-medical group (boys) with 471 marks while in the same group (girls), Zabreen Tahir of Government Kinnaird College stood first with 473 marks. In general science group (boys), Muhammad Aamir Eyyaz of Government College University bagged first position by obtaining 474 marks while among girls, Fatima Qamar of Kinnaird College declared as first position holder with 479 marks.
A private student Ziaul Haq stood first in Humanities group (boys) with 468 marks and the same group (girls), Ammara Yousuf of Government College for Women Warburton (Nankana) declared as first with 483 marks.
In pre-engineering group (boys), Muhammad Umer of GCU bagged first position with 493 marks while Fatima Khurshid of Punjab College gained first position with 485 marks among girls in same group. In commerce group (boys), Zohaib Siddiqui of Punjab College stood first by obtaining 487 marks while Saba Kanwal of the Punjab College stood first with 489 among girls in commerce group.
Education Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman while addressing the ceremony appreciated the board officials for working day and night and announcing the result after removing errors before the given deadline. The minister said the government had introduced the computerised system to facilitate the students and to eliminate errors. But unfortunately, he said, they could not get expected results from newly introduced computerized system. He said Judicial Inquiry Committee was probing the issue. “We have engaged new team of computer experts now to enhance the system and the computerized and manual system would be used parallel in order to avoid any mess in future”, the minister added. The minister also admitted that there were mafias inside and outside the board who tempered the results and changed the positions of the students. He, however, did not give any plan to counter these mafias. He also announced one increment on basic pay to the board employees in reward of their ‘hard work’ to prepare the result.

Write your comments on the latest result

Read More

Chief Minister Said No negligence by police to be tolerated during Muharram

Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday that zero tolerance will be shown to any negligence by the police towards the maintenance of law and order in the province, particularly during the month of Moharramul Haram.
The CM said maintenance of law and order and curbing crimes was the prime responsibility of police and no negligence will be tolerated in this regard. The CM said that he will be satisfied with the police performance only when the people will be satisfied from it. He directed that professionally competent SPs be deputed in the provincial metropolis and he will himself preside over the meeting for reviewing the law and order situation regularly. He said that a comprehensive plan should be evolved in this regard. He directed that a strategy should also be evolved for taking back Elite Force deployed on the security of VIPs and deputing guards of best private security companies trained from Elite School in their places. He said the committee should submit its recommendations in this regard at the earliest. He said that the Jawans of Elite Force taken back should be deputed for the protection of life and property of the people and rooting out heinous crimes. The CM expressed these views while presiding over a high level meeting held to review security arrangements and law and order situation during Moharramul Haram at Civil Secretariat. Members Assembly, IG Police Punjab, Home Secretary, Commissioner, DCO, CCPO Operations and Investigations Lahore and concerned senior officers attended the meeting.
Addressing the meeting, Shahbaz said that better security measures should be adopted during Muharram as compared to the previous years. He also directed that the peace committees should be fully activated with the participation of such persons therein who can play an effective role towards maintenance of law and order.
He also directed to constitute a special committee comprising elected representatives at Lahore level which will take steps for making foolproof security steps in consultation with administration and police and empowering the peace committees with regard to maintenance of law and order.
He directed to implement strict code of conduct and ban on wall chalking and said that strict action should be initiated against the violators. He directed to adopt a vital strategy for curbing crimes and the gangs involved in crimes.
Police should become a sign of fear for ‘Ghunda’ elements and criminals and become a source of provision of justice to the common man, he added. The CM while directing checking of hotels and inns said that new hostels had been built in number of places, therefore, checking of these hostels was of great importance. He said that a plan should be chalked out for this purpose but this should also be ensured that during the checking of hostels, law abiding persons should not be harassed at all.
Earlier, IG Police and Home Secretary informed about the details of arrangements to be made during Moharram and law and order situation in the province whereas CCPO and the Commissioner Lahore gave detailed briefings regarding security arrangements in provincial metropolis during Moharram.
The meeting was told that final shape has been given to security arrangements during Moharram. Cabinet committee has also visited three divisions.

Read More

Politicians focus on the Heart of Punjab --Lahore

This magnificent city in the heart of Punjab has dropped to the charm of a politician before. Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto once dominated, Sharif has been in the past few years, now Imran Khan to try his luck.

However, while Mr. Khan appealed to imagine the various parts of the city, it's heart still belongs to President Sharif.

"In some ways, the story of Lahore is the 1990s the middle class, belonging to Sharif, on the middle class in the 21st century, this is Imran Khan tilt," Herald "editor Badar Alam, . "But not a single win for Imran Lahore, there are other factors, such as biradiri, thinking of voting and the Islamic factor. "

"In the city's public transport interchanges to support the core is the same as the rest of Pakistan: a young, disillusioned with the status quo educated in Lahore, the difference may be more than other countries in this group to grow rapidly." more
Private schools, private colleges and universities more than a few short years ago today, Mujibur Rahman said: "Shami, a veteran
Lahore correspondent. "People's prosperity."

PTI Lahore brigade brought up the flow of young people of the several advantages of public transport interchanges. The motives of a young party worker, in ease of use of modern communication tools can help mobilize the public: a new method, such as automatic call to a record, Mr. Khan reportedly warned the residents of Lahore on October 30.

Well do young people may also help bridge the junction of a city budget deficit expensive sport.

They can help from his pocket a small expenditure, while the real wealth of supporters to fund more expensive sports equipment, such as billboards and flag.

The most obvious is that there is untapped potential voters. "Corruption is accurate and precise section of the educated middle class issue. Muhammad Waseem, one said:" In general, this group did not vote, but if there are five to ten percent of these new voters, then you Add the young voters, who get their CNIC since the last election, it can help Imran won the Lahore University of Management Sciences, Professor.

"They do not understand this, if voter turnout is 50 or 60%, because these new voters and young people, this will break all the calculations and eliminate others," Yusuf said Salah al-Din, Imran Khan close friends.

Public Transport Interchange will pick up many seats in Lahore, and 13 multilateral nuclear a city, if the immediate election? Because it may be speculative, the consensus seems to be two or three seats in the camps, defense, Gulbarg and the Canal Road and other areas.

"N - League won the last time, but won a seat in the different profit margins from the different. Suhail Warraich, Lahore, political experts say," look for the narrowest edge of victory, you will find more vulnerable seats seats.

Winning candidate in a city get 50,000-75,000 votes in 2008 purchasing power parity factor, PPP candidate and grabbed 9 PML - N won 11 constituencies, a significant proportion of respondents with 20,000 votes and 25,000 between.

However, the poor, rural constituencies in the suburbs of Lahore, like Samina Gurkhi won in 2008 but one, PPP has won seats in the appropriate city with little hope.

"Purchasing power parity as a winner, but the question is who to vote," according to Tahir Ashrafi, a local clergy familiar with city politics.

Before the arrival of Imran Khan, PPP voters Sharif, based on the anti-PPP, pro-platform support him in Lahore, Punjab and the PPP voters are cursed to have no other choice. "PPP may be the first to break the junction, they have become
And perennial losers to find alternatives, Safma Secretary-General Imtiaz Alam said. "

PML - N in 2008, swept through a city, love fades, however, perhaps the rise in public transport interchange is the biggest single factor N - League of disillusionment. "In 2008, people pay off their debts. Nawaz Sharif in Lahore did not delete and '99, said:" Manny Diaz, editor in Lahore. Now, an impatient public to observe the PML - N provincial government failed to shine voters looking elsewhere, according to the main Xiniyazi.

"Shahbaz Sharif left Lahore run. Suhail Warraich said," This is a good thing, but it is also a bad thing. According to him, the younger Sharif's aloofness and created a micro-loving sense of alienation. Warraich said, "and" politics is inclusive, but Shahbaz about exclusivity. It is difficult to pin down, but it seems the national economic slowdown, high inflation, electricity and natural gas reduction and poor security situation in the background, the tepid performance of the N - party coalition government dampen the enthusiasm.

While there may be cracks in Fortress Sharif's PML - N of Lahore ruled that Sharif is still a city. "Sharif is still strong, despite the dissatisfaction and complaints. Warraich said:" Yes, people worship him, and to some extent changed, but they will still vote for him.

In Gowalmandi, a stronghold of the Sharifs, PML - N support is overwhelming. "Gowalmandi is a long and sustained campaign, after Sharif has won. Mujib Shami said:" The last home under a government employee may have and money into development.

It goes beyond the material reasons, however. "I do not have a plot, of loans or from their work," according to Wahid, covered with dirt and owner - hole wall Gowalmandi machine shop. "But I only vote for Sharif The most important thing is he from Punjab and I am proud to have as Prime Minister of the Punjab."

"Imran Khan is an institution," the people, "he continued," But nobody listens Sharif. He does not listen to the United States, they provide the money the atomic bomb did not explode. "

Although Sharif is expected to walk in the strongest candidate for the PML - N stronghold of victory again, complaints trickle-down here too. "This is a Sharif stronghold, he has a special relationship to this place, but even here no one is happy," Abdul Malik, a small electronic repository for all.

Mr. Khaliq complain about inflation, but the enraged PML - N "friendly opposition" label: "They did the worst thing is that they have to (expletive deleted) Zardari to stay in power, they are together . "

In the CD shop, past and current N - Alliance supporters square. Since 2008 there Sharifs do? "Asked Rehan, a long-time of the PML - N of voters now support the public transport interchange." All they are doing is waiting for the end of five years, next to go. Perhaps Imran Khan will not do anything, maybe he will not give us the gas or anything else, but we need him to at least try. "

A PML - N supporters, Mahmoud Hussein, thundered back: "Forget about the big sleep master, told me he wrong? Think countries. Mian classic to us the atomic bomb, highways, Yellow Taxi ... "he continued," Sharif and his people with the money they give people something. Imran Khan has nothing to do. "

But requested that the public transport interchange in Lahore when the prospect of even die-hard supporters of PML - N Hussain admitted: "Imran Khan will probably win two or three seats." Months before admission will be bordering on heresy. October 30 rally has clearly changed the minds of some voters view. However, Mr. Khan in Lahore splash over overflow, tsunami-style. "Imran Khan is still not talking about class, about biradiri, the things that most appeal to Lahore unless he does not just talk about corruption, his income will be limited, LUMS professors, Waseem Ahmad said. "

Read More

Mansoor Ijaz releases another evidence

US businessman Mansoor Ijaz, who is at the centre of the Mullen Memo-gate controversy, Friday released another chunk of evidence-his phone records of calls made to and received, allegedly, from the Pakistani Ambassador to US Husain Haqqani and his US contact between May 9 and 10, when the controversial memo was prepared and sent.

Reacting to Pakistani ambassador's statements on the issue, in which Mr Haqqani said the SMS record was fake, Mansoor Ijaz sent what he said was an authenticated copy of the telephone company record of calls.

"I presented my original telephone company records to the senior Pakistani official whom I met to verify and validate the evidence in my possession," Mr Mansoor said adding that "I asked him (the official) to independently verify and check that the numbers of the individuals concerned were in fact their telephone numbers. I further asked him to put the calls in sequence with both e-mail and BlackBerry Messenger messages that had been sent to the ambassador and my US contact so that he could develop a comprehensive picture of the entire set of events." Mr Mansoor claimed that "the data was transferred to his (the official's) secure e-mail address directly from my computer, and he verified in front of me that the original telephone bills and original e-mail and BBM traffic were authentic and forensically unaltered."

The US businessman also recalled a Blackberry Message conversation in which Mr Haqqani had stated: "Husain Haqqani: you can keep saying you delivered a message and show BBM convos (conversations) to prove it... Basically, you don't get it."

In another such conversation, this time by SMS, on November 11, 2011, Mr Haqqani says: "I have just changed BBs...I may never trust you or your judgment again..."

The telephone record released by Mansoor shows the dates, time, phone numbers, duration of the calls made and received. "All calls were made from or received into my GSM number, +44 7730 33 --."

The following is the record. Name and phone numbers of the US contact have been deleted (IN indicates incoming call, OUT indicates outgoing call):

DATE/TIME/TEL NO/ DURATION IN/OUT/DESCRIPTION

05-09-2011,12:35:49, +442071060900, 16:03, OUT, Husain Haqqani at Intercontinental London, Room 430

05-09-2011, 12:58:06, +1703----, 02:25, OUT, US CONTACT, Home (spoke to wife, left message)

05-09-2011, 13:54:31, +1703----, 19:26, IN, US CONTACT, returning phone call from mobile phone

05-09-2011, 17:51:41, +16179532835, 00:23, OUT, Husain Haqqani mobile

05-09-2011, 18:28:45, +16179532835, 02:34, IN, Husain Haqqani mobile calling in

05-09-2011, 18:36:41, +1703----, 00:48, OUT, US CONTACT mobile, relaying essence of Haqqani call

05-09-2011, 21:20:11 +442071060900, 00:31, OUT, Husain Haqqani at Intercontinental London, Room 430

05-10-2011, 00:30:55, +16179532835, 01:17, IN, Husain Haqqani mobile calling in

05-10-2011, 00:33:05,+1703----, 01:39, OUT, US CONTACT mobile

05-10-2011, 09:06:16, +442071060900, 11:16, OUT, Husain Haqqani at Intercontinental London, Room 430

05-10-2011, 14:51:33, +1703----, 02:55, OUT, US CONTACT mobile

Read More

Husain Haqqani leaves for Islamabad

Pakistan’s Ambassador to the United States  Husain Haqqani has left for Islamabad. Prior to his departure he met US special representative to Pakistan and US Marc Grossman.

It is pertinent to mention here that senior leadership of PPP in its meeting noted that Haqqani had been called to Islamabad to give his viewpoint over controversial memo.
 The envoy met US special representative to Pakistan and Afghanistan  Marc Grossman before leaving for Islamabad.

Hussain Haqqani is being severely criticized for an alleged memorandum sent to the former US joints chiefs of staff committee by President Asif Ali Zardari, seeking Washington’s help to stop a potential coup by the Pakistan Army in the wake of May 2 US raid that killed Osama bin Laden.

Read More