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‘Zardari was elected for five years, why should he resign?’
Virender Sehwag outclasses Tendulkar with double ton
‘No second chance’ if euro summit fails, says Sarkozy
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rs15.00 Vol ii no 162 22 Pages Karachi —
pakistantoday.com.pk
edition
Friday, 9 December, 2011 Muharram-ul-Haram 13, 1433
NATO raid pre-planned, no trust in probe
Zardari ‘stable’, US optimistic ISLAMABAD STAFF REPORT
National security committee asks govt for details of agreements made with US and NATO g
ISLAMABAD
T
STAFF REPORT
He army said on Thursday Pakistan did not become part of NATO’s enquiry into its deadly air strike in Mohmand Agency last month because it did not expect any tangible results from the probe and doubted it would be transparent, as the Parliamentary Committee on National Security sought from the government details of the agreements and assurances, verbal or written, made with the US and NATO so as to formulate its recommendations for parliament vis-à-vis new terms of engagement on cooperation in the war on terror. Military sources told Pakistan Today no tangible results were expected from the NATO probe into the strikes since nothing of consequence had emerged from earlier investigations into such cross-border attacks by US and allied forces. They said Pakistan had also decided to increase the number of border posts that coordinated activities with the US and allied forces in Afghanistan. “The number of border coordination posts jointly operated by Pakistani, Afghan and NATO forces along the border with Afghanistan will be increased from four to five,” a source said. STRIKE PRE-PLANNED: Meanwhile, Director General Military Operations Major General Ashfaq Nadeem said the NATO air strike was pre-planned. Briefing the Senate Standing Committee on Defence, which met with Senator Javed Ashraf Qazi in the chair on Thursday, Gen Nadeem said after the attack on Salala checkpost it was wrongly conveyed to the Pakistani side that the Volcano checkpost had been attacked. “When the company commander rushed to the checkpost, he saw that NATO helicopters had returned after destroying the two checkposts,” he said. The bunkers were specifically targeted and destroyed, he added. Meanwhile, the Parliamentary Committee on National Security headed by Senator Raza Rabbani told ContinueD on Page 04
QUETTA: A man looks at burning NATO supply oil tankers at a terminal following an attack by gunmen. AFP | Story on Page 24
SC upholds previous NRO verdict, orders implementation The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday issued the detailed verdict in the review case of National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO). The 31-page detailed verdict drafted by Justice Tassadaq Hussain Jilani said the federal counsel was heard but he failed to give arguments to build the case and the parliament did not validate the NRO. Dismissing the government’s pleas to review the NRO verdict, the Supreme Court in its detailed verdict ordered the government to immediately implement its ruling in letter and spirit. The detailed verdict bears signatures of all the 17 judges comprising the full court that heard the case.
DetaileD story | Page 04
As rumours gripped the country about the political fate of President Asif Ali Zardari on the second consecutive day, presidential spokesman Farhatullah Babar said on Thursday that the president had been moved from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to his room, as the Telegraph reported that the president had suffered a minor heart attack. “According to his personal physician, President Zardari was moved a short while ago from the ICU to the normal hospital room, where he is resting to recuperate,” said Babar. A health bulletin issued by the physician said: “The president is stable, comfortable and is resting. Initial tests and investigations have been within normal range while further tests will be carried out.” Meanwhile, a
Shaukat Javed rejects report Former Punjab IG Shaukat Javed has strongly rejected contents of a news report appearing in Pakistan Today accusing him of planning to manipulate the next provincial elections for the Pakistan Muslim LeagueNawaz (PML-N). In a statement, Mr Javed said that he had held no meeting with either any PML-N leader or the additional inspector general of the Special Branch in the last one year. He said further that no person had ever accused him of being involved in rigging the last general elections. “During my service, I earned a reputation of sound integrity and impartiality in political matters,” Mr Javed said in his statement.
Reuters report said Zardari was being administered antibiotics to treat a fever. Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan said President Zardari would be back among the people of the country soon. Asked whether the president would address the joint session of parliament, the minister said Zardari would do so after the finalisation of recommendations by the Parliamentary Committee ContinueD on Page 04