Drug reaction: AG Punjab ensures retracting doectors’ suspension order

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan (SC) was hearing the drug reaction case today where Advocate General of Punjab ensured the court of withdrawing the case against suspended doctors, Geo News reported Friday.

During today’s proceedings Justice Saqib Nisar remarked that why the government of Punjab is acting hastily on the issue. Justice Tassaduq Jilani questioned that is not such action illegal. 

The court ordered action only after the probe is completed. 

Advocate General of Punjab ensured the court about retracting the suspension of the doctors in the case.

US, Pakistan reject estrangements

Citing the importance of their relationship, the United States and Pakistan have rejected the notion of estrangement in bilateral ties as they take steps to repair the strains and build ties on a stable basis.

"From our perspective, divorce is not an option with Pakistan. We have a strategic interest in common. We have a lot of work to do together, State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland told the daily press briefing.

She was asked to comment on Pakistani ambassador Sherry Rehman's first speech before an American audience on Wednesday, calling for "more consistent, stable and transparent equation" between the two countries while avoiding divorce.

We have a national interest in Pakistan that is increasingly stable, peaceful, free of terror, democratic etc. Nuland added.

Ambassador Rehman told an audience of foreign relations experts and South Asian analysts at the U.S. Institute of Peace that relations between Washington and Islamabad are burdened by too many expectations and have become overly emotional.

The marriage metaphor, for instance, never seems to go away, with its implicit embrace of love and hate, life, death, and divorce, which we seek to assiduously avoid, Rehman said.

Given the state of strategic flux our region faces, at a time of unprecedented challenges and the responsibilities such transitions bring with it, this is too important and too sensitive a relationship to carry this volume and scale of unregulated hyperbole, the Pakistani envoy said.

In her comments, Nuland said, "We are continuing to do a lot of work together and we are looking forward to the completion of Pakistan's internal review of our military to military relationship so we can get back to all the important work we have together.

Pakistan is reviewing its cooperation with Washington after a deadly cross-border incident on Nov. 26 in which U.S.-led NATO forces killed 24 Pakistani soldiers. (APP)

Since then, Pakistan has closed critical NATO supply routes into Afghanistan.

We do have a full spectrum review ending soon, which will roadmap the terms of our renewed cooperation. And that we hope will be very soon, Ambassador Rehman said.

Calling for a re-set in the bilateral equation, Rehman said, The (Nov. 26) tragedy at Mohmand really served as an end-line trigger that called for a fundamental re-set.

She also told the think tank event that Islamabad is working as a democracy and can no longer make crucial strategic decisons based on one phone call.

The lingering question of greater access for Pakistani products in the U.S. market- stressed by Ambassador Rehman in her speech - was also raised at the daily briefing.

"Secretary (of State Hillary Clinton) has been one of the most vocal advocates of switching as much of our economic relationship with Pakistan from aid to trade. 

That's been the focus of the Department's efforts with the Pakistani Government over the last couple of years, and some of the internal reviews we've done are focused on that," Nuland said, replying to a question.

Islamabad has long sought preferrentail access for its products in the U.S. market but moves by American administrations like Reconstruction Opportunity Zones for Pakistan and Afghanistan have made no headway on the Capitol Hill despite the idea being around for several years now.

Pakistan has been pressing its allies that it needs greater trade, especially for export of its textile products as it struggles to cope with 78 billion dollars in losses due to the continuing Afghan conflict and its own fight against terrorists with its several repercussions.

The European Union has recently agreed to extend preferential access to Pakistani products and Ambassador Rehman hoped the U.S. would also enable easy trade access for Pakistan.

State Department spokesperson Nuland said she could not address the subject of access for Pakistani textiles right away and would get back to reporters on the issue.

However, Nuland said, Washington is investing in the economic health and strength of Pakistan.

"We are investing in energy. We're investing in education. We are investing in democracy programs and development, so and micro lending and all of these kinds of things. So it's not about improving our image. It's about helping to strengthen a stable, peaceful, democratic Pakistan." (APP)

PPP to face worst defeat in next polls: Nisar

Opposition Leader in National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Thursday claimed that Pakistan People's Party would face worst defeat in political history in the next general elections, Geo News reported.

Addressing a public meeting in a suburban town of Saroba here, Chaudhry Nisar said even if the rulers managed to spare themselves in whatever little measure from the court's accountability, the people would make it up for it in the next elections.

"Those coming up will the unique tactics for evading judicial accountability, will not be able to save themselves from people's strict justice," he warned the present rulers.

He said the last four years witnessed people's stoves going cold while rulers mansions only grew bigger. But now the rulers' backing out of their promises over the past 4 years is becoming a noose around their neck, Nisar added.

Pak, Afghan, Iran presidents discuss regional peace

The Presidents of Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran Thursday held an informal session, a day ahead of the trilateral summit, aimed at bringing peace and stability and ensuring security in the region.

President Asif Ali Zardari, Afghan President Hamid Karzai and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad who are here for a two-day meeting held an informal round of talks here at the Aiwan-e-Sadr, as part of the trilateral mechanism.

This is the third round of the trilateral talks, that began in 2009. Pakistan believes that the summit would prove to be an important milestone towards finding peace, stability and Afghan-led reconciliation process.

The Foreign Office earlier said the trilateral mechanism was important for Pakistan as it would discuss matters pertaining to cooperation in counter-terrorism, curbing transnational organized crime, including drug and human trafficking, and border management.

The formal trilateral summit would be held on Friday. The three leaders will address a press conference at the end of talks.

Pakistan, Indonesia join money-laundering blacklist

An international money-laundering watchdog added Pakistan, Indonesia, Ghana, Tanzania and Thailand on Thursday to its blacklist of nations that fail to meet international standards.

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has found that those five countries were flaunting recommendations made to them toward fighting money-laundering and financing terrorism, its executive secretary, Rick McDonell, told journalists.

No countries were taken off the blacklist, but Honduras and Paraguay were removed from an intermediary "grey-list" of countries found to be falling behind on international standards despite having committed to them.

"We are looking exclusively at the implementation of the standards," McDonell told journalists at a FATF meeting in Paris. "Countries that we look at wind up on the list because they have not implemented them."

The body can make recommendations to any of the 36 countries that have signed a membership charter, as well as other nations, but it has no power to carry out sanctions.

The FATF, whose recommendations reach more than 180 countries through regional networks, estimates that money laundering and related financial crimes cost between 2 percent and 5 percent of global gross domestic product.

In its report, the FATF also called on governments to consider tax evasion as a money-laundering offence. The agency is also extending its focus to target the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.

The FATF blacklist now includes 17 countries. Aside from the five new ones, they are: Bolivia, Cuba, Ethiopia, Iran, Kenya, Myanmar, Nigeria, North Korea, Sao Tome and Principe, Sri Lanka, Syria and Turkey.

The grey-list includes 22 countries: Algeria, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Morocco, Namibia, Nicaragua, the Philippines, Sudan, Tajikistan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkmenistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen and Zimbabwe

US administration divided on ties with Pakistan: report

Sunday, May 15, 2011 12:02

WASHINGTON: The administration of US President Barack Obama is divided over the future of its relationship with Pakistan following the killing of Al-Qaeda founder Osama bin Laden, The Washington Post reported Sunday. The newspaper said that some officials, particularly in the White House, have advocated a strong US response. "You can't continue business as usual," the paper quotes one of several senior administration officials as saying who discussed the sensitive issue only on the condition of anonymity. "You have to somehow convey to the Pakistanis that they have arrived at a big choice. "People who were prepared to listen to (Pakistan's) story for a long time are no longer prepared to listen," the official went on to say. But few officials are willing to consider the alternatives if Pakistan makes the wrong choice, the report said. Every available option -- from limiting US aid and official contacts to unleashing more unilateral ground attacks against terrorist targets -- jeopardizes existing Pakistani help in the war on terror, The Post noted. Military success and an eventual negotiated settlement of the Afghanistan war are seen as virtually impossible without some level of Pakistani assistance, the paper pointed out. (AFP)

Osama hiding place visited by Taliban: British newspaper

Sunday, May 15, 2011 05:20

LONDON: Al Qaeda Chief Osama Bin Laden had direct contact with Taliban allies and fellow Arab fundraisers at the compound in Abbottabad, British newspaper The Telegraph claimed. According to the newspaper, British intelligence agents last week joined their US counterparts to sift through the material after repeated references to Britain were found in the haul retrieved from Osama's compound when US commandos killed him this month. An Afghan Taliban commander, who has previously provided reliable information to foreign media, disclosed to the British newspaper that he had visited bin Laden at the compound in Abbottabad. He said that the Saudi terror chief also received sporadic visits from leaders of his al-Qaeda network, Taliban allies and fellow Arab fundraisers. When the commander, who asked not to be named, last saw Osama in Abbottabad two years ago, he seemed healthy and well briefed on recent developments, but concerned about his safety and money. The Sunday Telegraph has learned that Britain was one of six countries - along with the US, Canada, Israel, Germany and Spain - identified as a target for terror strikes in the intelligence haul. Officials did not disclose specific plots or threats.

ISI drops intelligence sharing with CIA: report

Sunday, May 15, 2011 06:17

LONDON: Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) has dropped intelligence Sharing with Central Investigation Agency (CIA), a report published in British newspaper said. According to the newspaper, Pakistan, in protest of US unilateral action against the al Qaeda chief in its territory has broken off relation with CIA. In the past, Pakistani agents have been credited with helping identify targets for drone strikes and providing data to the CIA on plans being hatched in its tribal areas. "They are furious. They handed over telephone intercepts in 2009 that were crucial in leading to bin Laden's courier - the key breakthrough in the hunt," said a source briefed on relations between the two countries. "Then four months ago they were told there was nothing in it, it was what the Americans called a 'cold lead'. Since then they have been left out completely out of the loop." Senior officials in the US have briefed journalists that they stopped sharing information with Islamabad because they feared Osama’s sympathisers would tip-off bin Laden - ruining the best lead they had ever had.

Quake jolts various parts of country

Sunday, May 15, 2011 02:17

ISLAMABAD: A 5.8-magnitude earthquake jolted various parts of the country in the wee hours of Sunday, Geo News reported. Its epicentre was 207 kilometres deep, and was 140 kilometres from Khorugh in Tajikistan and 236 kilometres from Mingora in Pakistan, United States Geological Survey (USGS) said in a report. Northern Afghanistan and Pakistan are frequently hit by earthquakes, especially around the Hindu Kush range near the collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates.

Cars collision kills 9 in Burewala

Sunday, May 15, 2011 06:38

BUREWALA: A fire broke out after the collision of two cars on Chichawatni road in Burewala killing nine people including 5 kids early on Sunday, Geo News reported. According to the police, incident took place when a car EB 409 carrying nine members of the same family including 5 kids was moving from Burewala to Lahore which collided with a car coming from Lahore carrying two men. Resultantly, eight members of the same family burnt to death while a man in next car also died.

Kharian: blast in bus kills six

Sunday, May 15, 2011 00:02

ISLAMABAD: At least six people were killed and 10 others wounded on Saturday when a bomb planted in a bus exploded in Kharian, police said. "At least six people were killed in the blast," senior police official Afzal Bhatti said, adding that those wounded have been moved to nearby hospitals. No one has so far claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Pak, West be united against Taliban, demands NATO

Saturday, May 14, 2011 17:26

BRUSSELS: NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen on Saturday urged Pakistan to stand united with its Western allies to tackle Taliban extremists, who were behind a double suicide bombing in the country. "It is with shock and sadness that I learned the death of some 80 paramilitary cadets killed in a terrorist attack," Rasmussen wrote in a letter to Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari. "This attack is a stark reminder that Pakistan and Allies must stand united to defeat the scourge of violent extremism," he added. The death toll rose to 89 following Friday's suicide bombing on a paramilitary police training centre in the town of Shabqadar in northwest Pakistan. Around 140 people were also wounded, 40 of them critically. Pakistan's Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was to avenge the death of Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden at the hands of US forces two weeks ago. It was the deadliest attack this year in the nuclear-armed country, whose government is in crisis over the US raid on a compound in the northwestern city of Abbottabad where bin Laden had been hiding for five years. (AFP)

Tremors felt in Peshawar, northern areas

Saturday, May 14, 2011 15:31

PESHAWAR: Tremors felt in the city here as well as in the northern areas of Pakistan, which included Shab-e-Qadar, Chitral, Mohmand Agency etc. No loss of life and property reported immediately. (More to follow)

Army, agencies’ budget be presented in assembly : Nawaz

Saturday, May 14, 2011 13:07

LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Chief Mian Nawaz Sharif has demanded that army and intelligence agencies’ budget should be presented in the assembly, Geo News reported on Saturday. Addressing a press conference following meeting with US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter here, Nawaz stated that foreign policy making is not the business of agencies, adding that agencies must not make alliance and divide political parties. PML-N will not allow government within government. He also demanded that an independent commission should be constituted at the earliest and those responsible for Abbottabad incident be unmasked. PML-N leader said Pakistan has rendered great sacrifices in the war on terror. Around 35 thousand Pakistani citizens and security personnel have lost their lives in this war. Nawaz regretted that despite all such sacrifices Pakistan is being held in the dock. The US raid in Abbottabad was against the sovereignty and integrity of Pakistan. He came hard saying that Pakistan could not maintain unilateral relations. The government also stop obeying the US and other institutions, he said and added that it come forward to serve the nation.

US citizen De Haven stopped at Peshawar airport

Saturday, May 14, 2011 12:52

US citizen De Haven stopped at Peshawar airport US citizen stopped at Peshawar airport PESHAWAR: Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has stopped US citizen Mark De Haven at Peshawar airport, Geo News reported on Saturday. According to sources in FIA, De Haven was leaving for the US via Dubai when he was intercepted. FIA said that De Haven is black listed. He would be allowed to leave after clearance from interior ministry. It is pertinent to mention here that a local court had granted bail to him last month back and ordered not to leave the area without informing police until his case is concluded. Aaron Mark De Haven was detained after he outstayed his Pakistani visa. De Haven’s Pakistani visa had expired in October.

PML-N Like-minded Group to support Dar in Senate

Saturday, May 14, 2011 11:39

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League Like-minded Group has formally announced to support PML-N candidate for opposition leader in Senate Ishaq Dar, Geo News reported on Saturday. This was announced by the leader of PML Like-minded Group Senator Salim Saifullah after meeting with PML-N leaders Senator Ishaq Dar and Senator Pervez Rasheed at his home. In return PML Like-minded Group had been offered deputy opposition leader seat in the upper house. It may be noted here that seat of opposition leader was lying vacant as PML-Q leader Waseem Sajjad resigned after joining government alliance.