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Pakistan needs to address IED issue, says Panetta
CDA approves extension of Blue Area
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Assad sets Syria vote to end near 50-year Baath rule
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pakistantoday.com.pk
Rs15.00 vol ii no 230 22 Pages islamabad — Peshawar edition
thursday, 16 February, 2012 Rabi-ul-Awal 23, 1433
‘Innocent’ PM expects justice Gilani announces APC on Balochistan g Does not rule out early elections g
ISLAMABAD
ISLAMABAD: An elderly woman weeps as she shows the identity card of her missing son during a protest camp organised by the Defence of Human Rights at Parade Avenue on Wednesday. online
Pakistan, india agree to open bank branches ISLAMABAD AMER SIAL
To overcome a major obstacle in bilateral trade, Pakistan and India on Wednesday decided to take a giant leap forward and develop an institutional framework that would allow opening bank branches in each other’s countries on reciprocal basis. Addressing a joint press conference with his Pakistani host and counterpart Makhdoom Amin Fahim, Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma said the Reserve Bank of India will be hosting a delegation of the State Bank of Pakistan to discuss opening bank branches and devising an institutional framework. “Once this takes place the
economic engagement and concentration will increase”, he added. When asked about the timeline for finalising the framework between the two central banks, he said both the banks will be meeting in the first fortnight of March in Mumbai. Both the countries also plan to hold the next round of parleys on expanding economic cooperation during the next month. “We are building bridges of understanding as this is the time for economic engagement for positivity, prosperity and stability in the region,” he added. Speaking on the occasion, the Pakistani commerce minister said the talks between the two countries continued on PAGe 04
H
RANA QAISAR
AvING pleaded not guilty before a seven-judge bench trying him for contempt of court, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday said he was “innocent” and expected “justice” – poetic or un-poetic. A composed Gilani, while interacting with Islamabad-based editors and columnists, appeared satisfied with his decision of not writing “the letter” as he claimed that it was his choice not to move against the president. “I am innocent… and I expect justice,” the prime minister said, explaining that he had decided not to write the letter against the president, who, he said, was part of parliament. “It would amount to contempt of parliament if I had written the letter (to the foreign authorities),” he said without repeating his earlier position that he was advised not to write the letter against the president because he enjoyed immunity under the constitution. Asked about his strategy, he said it was for his lawyer to devise a legal strategy and political strategy would be formulated by his party. When referred to President Asif Ali Zardari’s statement that the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) had decided not to write the letter “come what may”, the prime minister
said he had never used these words. To a question whether he would resign upon being convicted, he said he would follow the constitution. On the situation in Balochistan, the prime minister said he had decided to convene an All-Parties Conference (APC) in consultation with the political leadership of the country. “I had a meeting with the army chief, ISI DG and the foreign minister on security and we also reviewed the situation in the province,” he said, adding that the APC would be called as soon as possible. The prime minister said a lot had been done for Balochistan but nothing helped improve the situation significantly continued on PAGe 04
AG to submit evidence todAy | PAGe 28
Pasha’s departure will affect Pak-US cooperation, says Cameron Munter BOSTON ONLINE
US Ambassador to Pakistan Cameron Munter said on Wednesday that the Pakistan government was well abreast of the fact that both Washington and Islamabad were equal stakeholders in the war on terror, but this cooperation could get affected when Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt General Ahmad Shuja Pasha finished his tenure. Speaking at the Harvard Kennedy School in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Munter said cooperation between the secret agencies of Pakistan and his country were still sustained. He said Pakistani politicians did not want the US soldiers to go back home, adding that the US had put on hold military aid to Pakistan based on the withdrawal of American trainers, and the ties between the militaries of the two countries were not good. The US envoy advised his country’s leadership to employ a policy of minimum interference and maximum decency towards Pakistan’s affairs, adding that the US should refrain from the use of threats. He said the leadership in Islamabad and Rawalpindi wanted better ties with Washington but also believed that it should be based on mutual respect. He said Pakistan was like a ship that did not move forward or backward in the sea, but it also was not sinking. US-Pakistan ties, he said, were harmed by the Raymond Davis issue and Pakistan also took the US covert operation to kill Osama bin Laden as affront to its sovereignty, along with the NATO attack on the border checkpost on November 26 last year that left 24 Pakistani soldiers dead.