LHR 02-03-2012_Layout 1 3/2/2012 1:43 AM Page 1
Accountability bill to be tabled with consensus: Gilani
After president, Greek PM also gives up salary
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rs15.00 Vol ii no 245 22 Pages
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lahore edition
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Foreign minister says pakistan can’t be selective in meeting its energy needs says pakistan will cross ‘the bridge of sanctions’ when it gets there
ISLAMABAD shAiq hussAin
n a rebuff to US warnings against going ahead with the vital project of import of natural gas from Iran through a multi-billion dollar pipeline, Pakistan on Thursday declared it would proceed with the construction of the pipeline and had no plans to drop the project. “All of these projects are in Pakistan’s national interest and will be pursued and completed irrespective of any extraneous considerations,” said Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar while addressing a news conference at the Foreign Office. She said, “As far as our bilateral relations and cooperation is concerned, we do not make it contingent on views and policies of any third country.” “It is in Pakistan’s national interest to acquire energy from wherever it was available. We cannot afford to be selective,” Hina said. The foreign minister’s statement was in response to US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s warning that she came up with in her testimony on Wednesday before the congressional subcommittee that Pakistan risked facing economic sanctions if it continued with its plan to go for the construction of Iranian gas pipeline. To a question on possible sanctions that Pakistan could face in case it pursued the gas pipeline project with Iran, she said, “We’ll cross the bridge when it comes.” “We will see what will be the impact but we hope for no implementation on the unilateral sanctions,” she said. “We will talk to the international community on this and the world agrees that this region cannot afford destabilisation because of any other military action,” she said. Answering another query, she said the relations with the United States, nATO and ISAF would be promoted on the basis of mutual self-respect and in line with the policy devised by Pakistan’s parliament. She said the parliamentary committee on foreign policy would finalise the recommendations by the second week of current month.
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Won’t accept foreign pressure on SENATE GOES TO POLLS TODAY national interests: prime minister As the much-doubted Senate elections finally take place today to the disappointment of many who had expected that the assemblies would be sent packing owing to the face-off between the military and civil establishments, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) is all set to emerge as the single largest party, short of a simple majority, to command the Upper House of parliament. Ninety-seven candidates will contest for 45 Senate seats, following the retirement of half of the Senate members whose term expires on March 12. The newly-elected Senators will take oath the same day. The election for the new chairman and deputy chairman of the Senate will also be held the same day. Earlier, the election was scheduled to be held on 54 seats but nine candidates, including Aitzaz Ahsan, Ishaq Dar, Mushahid Hussain, Osman Saifullah , Nuzhat Sadiq, Khalida Parveen, Kamran Michael, Abdul Hafeez Shaikh and Farogh Naseem have already been elected unopposed.
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Friday, 2 March, 2012 rabi-ul-sani 8, 1433
Pakistan digs I in over Iran gas pipeline g
‘Babar Awan, you’ve got to be kidding me!’
ISLAMABAD APP
Rejecting any foreign pressure on the bilateral cooperation between Pakistan and Iran including on energy sector, Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Thursday said Pakistan being a sovereign state would do whatever was in its own interest. “We are a sovereign country and we will do whatever is in the interest of Pakistan,” Gilani said while responding to a question during “Prime Minister Online” programme, jointly hosted by PTV and Waqt News. He said Pakistan and Iran had bilateral relations and cooperation in diverse fields including energy, gas pipeline, and electricity. To another question, the prime minister said there had been ups and downs in Pakistan-US relations, adding that Pakistan wanted to expand ties with the US on partnership basis as well as on mutual interest and mutual re-
spect. He said Pakistan and the US also had a common goal of success in the war against terrorism. However, Gilani added that the US should refrain from interfering in Pakistan’s internal affairs to allow confidence building and keep the Pakistani masses from harbouring any ill-feeling about it. Gilani also referred to the recent Pakistan-Afghan-Iran Trilateral Summit held in Islamabad and said the issue of political reconciliation in Afghanistan had been discussed in length with President Hamid Karzai. He said since there was no military solution in Afghanistan, there was a need to find a political solution. He said Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United States wanted to find a permanent solution to the Afghan conflict, adding that the solution could be sought through an Afghan-led and Afghanowned reconciliation process. In response to a question, Gilani rejected the impression that there was any danger to democracy or the democratic
government. He said democracy was strengthening in the country and those who were talking of such dangers would be regretful. When asked about his earlier remarks that the political situation would improve after the Senate elections in March, Gilani said, “As spring sets in the month of March, everything brightens.” Democracy is prospering and has a bright future, he added. About the memo case, the prime minister said he had been saying from the day one that the man (Ijaz Mansoor), who wrote the memo had no credibility, as he had a history of writing against Pakistan’s Establishment, intelligence agencies and the governments. To a question about the contempt of court case, Gilani said he had appeared before the Supreme Court twice and was ready to appear whenever he would be summoned by the court. He said the government had strengthened the country’s institutions by restoring the 1973 Constitution.
Missing prisoners
You lack legitimacy, sC tells agencies ISLAMABAD MAsood RehMAn
Expressing dissatisfaction with a report submitted by spy agencies on 11 missing prisoners of Adiyala Jail, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry on Thursday sought the law which empowered the agencies to detain people without proof and observed that if parliament had not done its job properly, there would have been martial law imposed in the country today. Heading a three-member bench consisting of Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez, the CJP observed that the report submitted by the spy agencies did not have any proof for detaining the prisoners in accordance with the law. The court admonished Raja Muhammad Irshad, counsel for the ISI and MI, when he criticised the incumbent parliament, saying it had failed to redress the problems being faced by the people. “What are the parliamentarians doing while representing the people who gave them mandate?” Raja Irshad said in a sentimental tone, when the court asked him to state the law under which the spy agencies could detain people without legal requirement. “Don’t be emotional and keep in mind that if the parliament had not done its job properly, there would be a martial law in the country today,” the chief justice said. Justice Khilji Arif Hussain asked the lawyer whether he was saying this on behalf of his client or in his personal capacity that parliament was not doing its job well. Irshad, however, stated that he was stating that in his personal capacity. When the lawyer tried to elaborate the sacrifices of the intelligence agencies to protect the supreme interest of the country, the chief justice said if agencies were claiming protecting the interest of the state, the judiciary was more determined to protect the supreme interest of the state, rule of law and supremacy of the constitution. “Provide us a law which empowers spy agencies and police to detain a person without fulfilling legal requirements,” the chief justice asked, observing that if prisoners were involved in any act of terrorism, their involvement should be proved in accordance with the law. “This is our country also and everyone here is a patriotic citizen and ready to render sacrifice for protection of the motherland,” Justice Khilji Arif Hussain remarked. He said it was a “pathetic thinking” of those who thought only they were superior for caring about the integrity of the motherland. “Your reply indicates that we have committed a sin while asking for your reply in the instant case,” Justice Khilji Arif Hussain asked Irshad. Continued on Page 04