Entire political leadership in danger: Interior Ministry

 

 

ISLAMABAD: Interior Ministry spokesman Brigadier (Retd) Javed Iqbal Cheema Tuesday said the government has prepared a security advisory plan for politicians to avert life threat to them.
He told the weekly media briefing that the advisory is aimed at providing general guidelines to the political leadership for their safety and security.
Cheema said after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto it is of paramount importance that political leadership is sensitized about looming threat and asked them to adopt a security conscious approach.
"The government would provide adequate security cover to the political leaders, it is incumbent upon the political leadership itself to play its role in taking necessary steps to ensure their own safety by cooperating and paying heed to security advisory."
He said all Home secretaries and heads of law enforcement agencies have been given directives to ensure foolproof security of all political leaders under threat.
Under the security advisory the political leadership is mandatory to maintain close liaison with provincial home departments and local police through nominated focal person.
Political leaders should give due heed to security advise rendered by the local police chief. They are advised to keep provincial administration/ police informed of travel plans; not to hesitate to ask for security measures required for a specific event; avoid unnecessary public exposure; keep travel plans flexible/ unpredictable; plan and use different routes for traveling; security clearance of personal guards and employees through local police should be ensured; prefer use of security personnel provided by the government over personal guards; gather/ Cornor meetings may be used as preferred mode of electioneering and big rallies should be avoided as far as possible; unnecessary exposure during slow movement of vehicles should be avoided; unidentified persons should not have access to residence; unidentified persons should not be allowed to get closer to the leader; personal guards/ party workers detailed for security duty should be issued with security passes for recognition by local police.
Cheema said law enforcement agencies are taking additional security measures in the light of the Karachi incident to make sure that the designs of the perpetrators of terrorism are foiled.
He said the government is taking all precautionary measures and exercising extreme vigilance, adding it is with the cooperation of the entire nation that the country can overcome the danger posed by the terrorists and extremist elements trying to create instability.
Referring to Scotland Yard team, the spokesman said that six experts in the field of explosive and graphics who left Pakistan had finished their job. "The number of experts would keep increasing or decreasing according to the needs and requirements of investigation."
He said foolproof security arrangements are in place across the country to ensure peaceful religious rites during the sacred month of Muharram.
All resources including troops and rangers have been mobilized to assist the law enforcement agencies for round the clock vigilance around religious places, he said.
About Karachi blast, Cheema said it shows the desperation of terrorist elements who struck at innocent people in the industrial Quaid-e-Abad areas.

PBC to boycott courts on every Thursday

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Bar Council (PBC) has decided to observe boycott of superior courts only on Thursday every week in view of the problems being faced by litigants and has asked lawyers throughout the country to appear before courts in cases on five days every week.

According to a PBC press release issued here on Monday, the top body of the lawyer community also decided that lawyers would observe token boycott only for one hour from 10.30 to 11.30am every day.

The PBC said the decisions were taken in public interest, keeping in view hardship of litigants and the need for minimizing boycott duration.

According to the decisions, all bar associations in the country shall hold general meetings and take out processions and rallies outside the court premises every Thursday.

Every Bar Association shall form a hunger strike camp where at least two members shall sit in hunger strike for at least two hours every day.

No Bar Association shall invite any PCO judge to bar functions and office bearers of all Bar Associations shall boycott all functions of PCO judges.

The Council shall hold national conventions at Islamabad and the provincial capitals to advance the cause of restoration of judiciary of 2nd November 2007. First convention will be held on February 9 at Islamabad which will be followed by a march by lawyers to the residence of Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry.

PBC also passed various resolutions including one demanding the immediate release of Aitzaz Ahsan, President Supreme Court Bar Association, Ali Ahmed Kurd and Tariq Mehmood and other political prisoners in the country.

Country left ‘drowned in blood’

ISLAMABAD: Opposition leader Nawaz Sharif said Monday that US-backed anti-terror operations have left Pakistan "drowned in blood," issuing some of his harshest criticism yet of President Pervez Musharraf.

Nawaz made his comments to a rally of 3,000 supporters at Barakao near Islamabad. It was his first major campaign speech since Bhutto's killing and it contained some of his harshest criticism yet of Musharraf and the alliance with Washington forged after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

"Musharraf has destroyed Pakistan. He is blindly following America's orders," Nawaz said. "The whole of Pakistan is drowned in blood."

He alleged the army left "girls riddled with bullets" when it raided Lal Masjid and female seminary in the capital last year. The government said more than 100 extremists were killed in the operation, and disputed claims that female students also died.

Nawaz said his party will take revenge of assassination of Benazir Bhutto after coming into power.

"When we came into power, we will take revenge of shahadat of Benazir Bhutto and blood letting of poor workers", he said.

Former premier Nawaz Sharif demanded the formation of a national unity government without President Pervez Musharraf to hold free, fair and transparent polls in the country.

"National government without Musharraf is the only solution to the present crisis faced by the country," he said.

PML-N chief reiterated his demand for formation of a national unity government to hold free, fair and transparent polls in the country.

He said that PML-N would however not accept a national unity government headed by President Pervez Musharraf.

"I have never accepted Pervez Musharraf as president," Nawaz Sharif said.

The PML-N leader condemned what he called "provocative" statements against him and PPP by former Punjab chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Ellahi.

Nawaz Sharif said his government had served the country and the masses by undertaking various development projects including construction of motorway and Mera Ghar Scheme for the poor.

He said it was during his government that Pakistan became a nuclear power whereas afterwards, he alleged the country had lost its creditability in the world as a result of flawed policies.

Nawaz Sharif said the government during last several years had disappointed the masses who were facing flour, gas and power crises.

He said the government was responsible for crushing hike of prices of foodstuff as flour was selling now at Rs22-25 per kilogram which Rs7 during his second tenure.

The former premier urged the people not to vote for a party which was "responsible for Lal Masjid raid and operations in tribal areas."

Masses should vote for PML-N candidates in order to bring a change in the country, he said.

Earlier, Nawaz Sharif was warmly welcomed by party leaders and workers when he arrived at Barakao from Murree.

Shams warns millers against flour smuggling to Afghanistan

PESHAWAR: Caretaker Chief Minister Shamsul Mulk while taking strong note of smuggling of Flour to Afghanistan on the pretext of its supply to FATA has cautioned the owners of flourmills not to consider FATA as Afghanistan and refrain from ignoring domestic problems in this regard.

He was presiding over a meeting here on Monday convened to discuss ways and means to deal with the present Atta crisis.

Minister for Food Alamzeb Khan, chief secretary, secretary home, secretary food, DCO and flour mills owners attended the meeting.

The chief minister during the meeting talked to the caretaker chief minister Punjab on phone about certain problems and difficulties in the smooth supply of atta from Punjab to the Frontier province and in response, the chief minister Punjab assured him of removing hindrances in its supply.

Addressing the meeting, the chief minister said that his government was doing no injustices to flour mills owners at any level, however, being accountable to the people, it had to take some strict measures in the public interest.

He said that previously the flour mills were being provided 1500 tons wheat per day which was raised by the caretaker government to 3000 tons on daily basis followed by another increase of 1000 tons wheat per day. However, despite the increase in quota, artificial atta crisis was created for which consequently the provincial government had to cancel the quota of flour mills in order to control smuggling and hoarding.

The chief minister rejected the rumors with reference to ban on wheat and atta supply. He said that the government would restore quota to flour mills provided they refrain from smuggling and hoarding.

The meeting was told that the Frontier Constabulary would take control of flour mills in the province and movement of atta shortly which would help control the present crisis. The chief minister warned that the elements complicating the issue of atta would be dealt with sternly.

He urged the need for a coordinated strategy between administration and flour mills owners to deal with the affairs of flour mills association and the present atta crisis.