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pakistantoday.com.pk
rs15.00 vol ii no 159 22 Pages Karachi — edition
monday, 5 december, 2011 muharram-ul-Haram 9, 1433
NaTO attack not deliberate, Obama tells Zardari
in face of nro, memo
Zardari to address joint session of parliament
ISLAMABAD SHAIQ HUSSAIN
The serious nature of differences that erupted in Pakistan-US ties in the aftermath of the NATO attack in Mohmand Agency, in particular Islamabad’s decision to boycott the Bonn Conference, forced President Barack Obama to make a phone call to his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari and explain that the “regrettable” incident was not a “deliberate attack”. The phone call from President Obama that lasted for around 30 minutes led to consultations between President Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on the phone and both also spoke separately to Chief of Army Staff General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani on the phone later. “The conversation between the Pakistani leadership was meant to discuss the two presidents’ telephonic talk and also to once again deliberate upon the vital issue of going or not going to the Bonn Conference now that even the US president has made the request in this regard,” said a senior Pakistani official privy to the late night developments. He said as the consultations were still underway, he could not say with authority what would be the decision but as it was the top most request by US, it had been taken very seriously here. If it was decided to send the country’s ambassador in Germany to the conference to represent Pakistan, that would not be something surprising, he added. Meanwhile, a White House statement said President Obama telephoned President Zardari on Sunday to express his condolences. “Earlier today the President phoned President Zardari to personally express his condolences on the tragic loss of 24 Pakistani soldiers,” the statement said. “The President made clear that this regrettable incident was not a deliberate attack on Pakistan and reiterated the United States’ strong commitment to a full investigation,” it added. It said that during the roughly 30-minute call, the two presidents reaffirmed their commitment to the US-Pakistan bilateral relationship.
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president decides to explore political avenues to argue his ‘case’ ISLAMABAD TAHIR NIAZ
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LAHORE: Rangers take part in an anti-terror drill on Sunday.
afp
Imran declares assets, Nisar demands judicial warns of civil disobedience review of ISI’s political role ISLAMABAD
ISLAMABAD
ARIF TAJ
STAFF REPORT
Declaring his assets on Sunday, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan urged the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) to make their complete assets public as well, otherwise his party would launch a civil disobedience movement. “We shall not ignore the issue of the assets of political leaders. They have kept the details of their assets hidden and now the responsibility lies with them to declare all details of their assets voluntarily, otherwise the PTI will take the issue to the people, hold protests and launch a civil disobedience movement and no one should blame us then that we are using undemocratic means or destabilising democracy in the country,” Khan said at a press conference. Without naming the leadership of the PPP and the PML-N, Imran said the issue of assets was a matter of national importance as increase in assets was directly related to corruption by the parties which had been or were in power at present in the country. Slamming the government for not implementing the decisions of the Supreme Court, the PTI chief said the PPP-led government was adopting undemocratic tactics and avoiding implementation of the decisions of the apex court. He also said his party would render sacrifices to uphold continued on Page 04
Expressing reservations over President Asif Ali Zardari’s proposed address to a joint sitting of parliament, National Assembly Opposition Leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan demanded on Sunday a judicial review of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)’s past and present political role in the country. Addressing a press conference in response to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan’s press conference in which he declared his assets, Nisar said Khan had not declared his complete assets. He challenged Khan to approach the Supreme Court on the issue. “Choose any independent tribunal, either the Supreme Court or the high courts of Sindh, Balochistan or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, to challenge the assets of the PML-N (Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz) leadership and present evidence there … we will also bring evidence against you (Khan) on the same forum so that the nation can learn the reality,” he added. Nisar also asked Khan to go to British or Saudi Arabian courts if he had any proof about the Sharifs’ illegal business and property in those countries. He said the PMLN would welcome reopening of the Asghar Khan case in the Supreme Court. “We seek a judicial review of the past and present political role of the ISI,” he said. “He concealed some assets which he earlier declared in 2002 before the Election Commission of Pakistan,” continued on Page 04
ERTURBED by the Supreme Court (SC) orders pertaining to the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) and the memo controversy, President Asif Ali Zardari has decided to explore political avenues to plead his ‘case’ on both of the contentious issues before the elected representatives of the people when he will address the joint session of parliament after Muharram ends. Another issue that does not affect him as an individual but becomes his official responsibility as head of state and commander-in-chief of the armed forces is that he is also expected to speak in detail on the NATO-ISAF attack in Mohmand Agency, which changed the diplomatic scenario after Pakistan’s refusal to participate in the Bonn Conference, despite international pressure, as a protest against violation of its sovereignty. “President Asif Ali Zardari, who is also supreme commander of the armed forces, has decided to address a joint session of parliament after Muharram,” Presidential Spokesman Farhatullah Babar said in a press release. The contents of the release are also reflective of the worry and concern of the president on the issues of the NRO and the memo. “The president also called upon the party workers to show patience, strictly observe democratic norms and refuse to be provoked into any aggression.” The spokesman quoted the president as saying: “Aggression is the mindset of the weak and not the strong.” Though the press release did not mention against what or whom the president felt his party workers could be provoked, he called upon them to show patience. The Supreme Court orders are, however, what he probably considered as an aggression against him, which could provoke his party workers. The press release further quoted the president as saying: “Democracy calls for tolerance, patience and steadfastness as demonstrated by Aung San Suu Ki in standing up to mountains of hardship for the cause”. It clearly appears that frustrated by the apex court’s orders, particularly on the two issues, the president has decided to take parliament into confidence, particularly on the obligations attached to the decision on the NRO review petition. Writing a letter to the Swiss authorities to reopen cases against him, memogate and the NATO attack, which has put relations between Pakistan and the US at the lowest ebb since the start of the war against terrorism, are clearly weighing on his mind. When asked why the president felt the need to address a joint session of parliament, PPP South Punjab President and Textile Industries Minister Makhdoom Shahab-ud-Din said: “Basically, the president would take parliament into confidence over the NATO attack… the issues of NRO and memogate might also crop up during the address.” He said the president may discuss the allegations leveled by a ‘dubious’ character, Mansoor Ijaz. When PML-N Information Secretary Senator Mushahidullah Khan was asked about his party’s strategy for the joint session, he said it was too early to say anything on it. JI’s Professor Khurshid said his party had yet to decide a strategy. Under Article 56(1) of the constitution, the president may address either House or both Houses assembled together and may for that purpose require the attendance of the members. Usually, the president addresses both Houses assembled together at the commencement of the first session after each general election to the National Assembly and at the commencement of the first session of each year.
isi out of government control, claims mansoor ijaz | Page 24