Rawalpindi—President Pervez Musharraf has said
that while the multi-pronged approach was needed
to wean away people from extremism, terrorism
must be combated with full force and all
available resources. He was talking to the Chief
of the Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani
who called on him here on Friday and briefed him
about the role of Pakistan Army in combating the
scourge of terrorism and extremism in FATA. The
Chief of the Army Staff also briefed the
President on the security situation along the
Pak-Afghan border and the Federally Administered
Tribal Areas.
A perception is fast developing that the country
is being
trapped and derailed. My interaction, on almost
a
regular basis, with a cross-section of people,
including political leadership and some of the
top policy-makers in Islamabad-Rawalpindi, makes
me concerned about the deteriorating situation.
New Delhi—Pakistan and India have
decided to hold Foreign Secretary levels talks
here on July 21 to launch the fifth round of
their more than four-year old Composite
Dialogue. The decision came at the meeting
between Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi
and Indian External Affairs Minister Pranab
Mukherjee here on Friday.
Peshawar—Quaid of PML (N) and former primer
minister Mian Nawaz Sharif on Friday reiterated
his unflinching resolve to get the deposed
judiciary restored come what may. He also said
that the reasons behind his disqualification for
the by-polls were known to every body and he did
not feel it necessary to explain any further. “I
will not rest till the real judges are restored
to November 2, 2007 position and my party’s
stance is crystal clear on the judges issue and
needs no elaboration”.
Islamabad—The Islamabad High Court on Friday
issued notice to the government and directed to
file a reply in two weeks on a petition against
increasing the number of Supreme Court judges
from 16 to 29 through a finance bill. Chief
Justice of the court Justice Sardar Mohammad
Aslam gave the directives on the petition filed
by Azhar Maqbool, an advocate of the Lahore High
Court.
Islamabad—Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)
on Friday observed countrywide black day to
record protest against the decision of Lahore
High Court, disqualifying party chief Nawaz
Sharif from contesting last Thursday’s
by-election. PML-N Leaders and activists took
out protest rallies and held public gatherings
at various places of the country.
Islamabad—President Pervez Musharraf has
formally endorsed finance bill 2008-09 and so
the decision of Parliament to increase the
number of Supreme Court judges from 16 to 29,
has also been endorsed, said Advisor to the
Prime Minister on Parliamentary Affairs Azhar
Ahmrohi. In an exclusive chat with Online on
Friday, he said, the finance bill 2008-09 would
be implemented through out the country from July
1, adding that, under the constitution, the
President can not stop the finance bill.
Islamabad—Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani
said his government has taken several
legislative and administrative measures to
protect and promote human rights in the country
in the short span since assuming the charge of
government three months ago. The Prime Minister
was talking to Ms. Louise Arbour, UN High
Commissioner for Human Rights, who called on him
at Prime Minister’s House Friday morning. The
Prime Minister congratulated Ms. Louise Arbour
on successfully completing her tenure as the UN
High Commissioner for Human Rights.
islamabad—Pakistan
has rejected the demand of US lawmakers for
direct access to nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer
Khan, saying it alone can probe into allegations
that he proliferated the country’s nuclear
secrets. “We have made it clear, at every level,
that no outside authority can interview Dr.
Khan,” a senior official of the foreign office
told IANS.
