ISLAMABAD: Former Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief Lt-Gen Asad Durrani, conceded that the ISI and Military Intelligence (MI) had played their respective roles in rigging the 1990 parliamentary elections. However, Durrani maintained that this was conducted within a legal ambit and as per orders of then President, with then Army Chief Mirza Aslam Beg being kept fully informed of all activity.

Durrani on Wednesday submitted a counter affidavit in response to former army chief Gen (retd) Mirza Aslam Beg’s statement in which he blamed the ISI for ‘corrupt practices’.

Durrani, defending his position, insisted that the role of ISI and MI to distribute funds among various politicians and political parties was lawful, and he added that Beg was also informed about the plan. “The ISI did have the mandate to carry out this task, which has often been reiterated during the proceedings of this case,” the former spymaster maintained.

“The decision to disburse election donations through the ISI may well have been taken by then president Ghulam Ishaq Khan, who, having handpicked the caretaker government including its Prime Minister Mustafa Jatoi, was de-facto the chief executive. The operation was therefore lawful and it followed an established chain of command,” Durrani said.

“All accounts were maintained by officers belonging to the various MI detachments, and funds were placed in temporary accounts and the details can be provided on a confidential basis. Only after the disbursements were over, the balance was transferred to a special fund of the ISI,” Durrani held, adding that “since records were meticulously maintained, all transactions can be accounted for.”

Beg had filed a fresh statement on May 10 wherein he had tried to absolve himself of any involvement in the distribution of funds to various recipients. Durrani said that “to put the record straight: General Mirza Aslam Beg, as the army chief, was right from the beginning on board in this operation; both in the process of issuing instructions, as well as overseeing the disbursements.”

Durrani, establishing the origins of his orders with then Presiden Ishaq Khan, said, “in fact, I received my initial orders to organise distribution of election donations (through president Ishaq Khan). Though the subsequent instructions were at times conveyed by Ijlal Haider Zaidi, a member of the president’s election team, I kept the army chief fully informed.”

Besides Beg’s reference on the subject, the petitioner, Air Marshal Asghar Khan, in his letter dated January 30, 1999 to the chief justice acknowledged that “the charter of the ISI makes it clear that it can be used by the chief executive of the country to finance political parties”. Then Chief justice of Pakistan, Saiduzzaman Siddiqui in his order dated June 16, 1997, was pleased to refer to the documents placed before him by the then attorney general.

Durrani maintained, “as I had stated when called upon by the court to do so on March 9, 2012, I do not wish to merely take cover of the mandate, or of carrying out orders from the competent authority. I believe that as a general of the Pakistan Army, I also have to take responsibility for my action.”

The general sought a private audience, or if not granted, then to submit his reasons in a sealed envelope. “In this case, I followed orders convinced that it was in the country’s best interest. I seek the court’s permission to explain my decision on a confidential basis; or if it pleases the court, to submit an ‘eyes only’ paper on the subject.”

He said that the institution of the ISI was brought under political control way back in 1975. According to Beg’s affidavit dated February 23, 1997, a political cell was created in the ISI by the then prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto.

“Be as it may, ISI as an organisation responds to multiple centres of power: the president, in his capacity as the supreme commander of the Armed Forces; the three service chiefs and the chairman JSHQ; and indeed the prime minister. In practice, however, the army chief wields more power over the ISI than any of its other ‘bosses’; not only because of his extraordinary status in the national polity, but also because most of the ISI’s senior appointments including its director general are serving soldiers,” Durrani explained.

Pakistan is all set to gain $365 million annually under an agreement after the reopening of supply routes for North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) troops in Afghanistan, a report on The Christian Science Monitor website has revealed.

The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) had earlier given a go-ahead to lift the six-month old blockade on Nato supplies passing through the country. The supply routes had been suspended after the killing of 24 Pakistani soldiers during an air raid last year on border posts located in Mohmand Agency.

The United States-led (US) coalition is expected to pay Pakistan a fee of $1,500 to $1,800 for every truck carrying supplies through the country. Officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the bill is estimated to go up to $1 million per day.

Officials in the US have said that they are not aware of how much cost they will have to bear.

The US, in return, has asked Pakistan to provide security for the supplies which are transported using private local companies, faster customs clearance and checkpoints, reveals the report. Pakistan has not provided security to trucks carrying Nato supplies in the past.

It is estimated that as many as 600 trucks will pass through Pakistan every day between now and next year.

Last week, Nato chief General Anders Fogh Rasmussen had tacitly linked Pakistan’s participation in the Chicago summit on Afghanistan with the resumption of supply lines.

Rasmussen had later extended an invitation to President Asif Ali Zardari. The presidential spokesperson had insisted that the invitation was unconditional and not linked to the opening of Nato supply routes or to any other issue.

Pakistan has also repeatedly demanded that the US issue a formal apology for the raid, while Washington has only expressed deep regret and offered condolences on the killing of Pakistani troops.

The demand for an apology has been the bone of contention between Pakistan and the US for reopening the supply routes. Acting Assistant Defence Secretary George Little had earlier said that the US was still noncommittal to a Pakistani demand for a formal apology.

Many set to gain from reopening of supply routes

Traders of looted goods, the military and militants in tribal areas are all set to gain from the reopening of supply routes.

A report in The Washington Post states that local transport associations have revealed the military indirectly controls 30% of Nato oil tanker contracts. The military had declined to comment on its share.

Traders of looted goods had earlier experienced a downward trend for their business, but are now expecting a boost. A trader who spoke to The Washington Times said that he was selling food, daggers, computers, technological goods and American flags at reasonable prices.

He said that suspension of supply routes had made it hard to meet expenses, but the reopening will be beneficial.

Militants in the tribal area too will benefit once supply routes reopen. They are known to demand protection money from transport companies and also attack trucks to steal the goods.

ISLAMABAD: Several Western embassies in Islamabad received letters on Wednesday containing suspicious powder and threats to poison NATO soldiers in Afghanistan, Pakistan officials said.

Islamabad police chief Bani Amin told AFP that embassies had received small packets containing black powder, which had been sent for laboratory analysis.

The letters said “poison” would be hidden in NATO supplies should Pakistan decide to lift a nearly six-month blockade on supplies for American and NATO troops fighting the Taliban in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Senior Pakistani security officials told AFP that the French embassy, and the Australian and British High Commissions had received suspicious packages.

“Embassies have received one sachet each. The problem is that it is in a meagre quantity and difficult even to test. It seems somebody has committed some mischief. We are sending it to a laboratory,” Amin told AFP.

KARACHI: In a recent wave of target killings in Karachi, four people were killed while eight were injured in separate incidents on Wednesday. Three of the deceased belonged to the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). This takes the death toll of MQM activists to six in the last 24 hours.

A former UC counsellor of the MQM was killed when unidentified men opened fire at him in the Saudabad area of Malir. The man was identified as Khursheed Alam. Another MQM activist, Zubair Siddiqi, was gunned down in the same area by unknown armed assailants.

MQM activist Hasnain Malik was attacked by unidentified men in the Orangi Town. Malik died on the spot due to bullet injuries. A few days earlier, his son was killed in the same manner.

Three MQM workers were killed on Tuesday in different parts of city, including a former UC-councillor Anwar Alam alias Babu who was killed in the PECHS area, Azhar Ali and Kamran Ali, whose bodies were found from Memon Goth Graveyard and Ganna Mandi areas, respectively.

A local hotel in the Quaidabad area of the city was also attacked today. Unidentified men had lobbed a hand grenade from a bridge located above the hotel.

The grenade hit the cash counter, severely injuring three customers and one employee at the hotel. The injured were shifted to Jinnah hospital for treatment.

The attack was earlier believed to have been carried out using a cracker bomb, but Deputy Sub Inspector (DSP) Rao Iqbal confirmed that it was a hand grenade.

In another incident, unknown armed assailants opened fire at a public bus in the Gulistan-e-Johar area, injuring four passengers.

According to Express News correspondent Wasiq Muhammad, shops were closed down soon after the firing incident. However, police have still not reached the crime scene.

The injured have been shifted to a nearby hospital.

KARACHI: Dr Khalil Chisthy, who returned to Pakistan after two decades yesterday, reached his home in Karachi on Wednesday evening, Express News reported.

He was received by a host of supporters, media men and politicians, including Minister for Ports and Shipping Babar Ghouri at the Jinnah International airport in Karachi.

Express News reporter Vakeel Rao reported that Dr Chishty thanked the media for their prayers and support which had aided his return to Karachi. He added that his happiness knew no bounds.

Dr Chishty has reached house no. B-210 in North Nazimabad, returning to his home after almost 20 years.

Earlier on Tuesday, a frail looking, teary eyed Dr Khalil Chishty was wheeled off the President’s special plane, and on to Pakistani soil in Islamabad.

Dr Chishty, who was allowed by the Indian Supreme Court on humanitarian basis to visit Pakistan, was flown from New Delhi to Islamabad, aboard the President’s special plane. He was received by Minister of Interior Rehman Malik at the airport.

Speaking to media men, he thanked President Zardari for his efforts in bringing him back to Pakistan, before being driven away in Malik’s car.

An Indian Supreme Court order in April this year and a consequent order from the same court last week have facilitated Dr Chishty’s journey to meet his family members in Pakistan. He will have to report back on November 1.

For Dr Chishty – who was sentenced to life imprisonment on January 31, 2011 after a protracted trial for his alleged involvement in a murder in 1992 – this is the first time in two decades that he crossed the Rajasthan border.

Local newspapers described the grief of the situation as he left the state in which he had been incarcerated for two decades.

Dr Chisty told the media: “I am thankful to you all. You all have been very kind.”

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Wednesday suggested that the government should print currency notes and pour capital into the electricity sector in order to overcome loadshedding, Express News has reported.

During the federal cabinet session, Gilani said, “We can print currency notes and pour capital in the electricity sector in order to overcome loadshedding”.

Gilani’s suggestion surprised ministers present in the session, however, Interior Minister Rehman Malik, while endorsing the prime minister’s statement, said that the “2-3% rise in inflation could be overcome within a few years” and that there was no problem in printing money.

The participants also suggested that the recovery of dues that different sectors owed Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) could be handed over to Malik to curb the circular debt.

However, this idea was opposed by some ministers, saying that this will cause a dispute between the trader community and industry with Wapda.

Finance Minister Abdul Hafeez Shaikh said that Wapda does not have a system to gauge the amount of electricity needed by different cities. He said that Wapda needs to develop a system to properly distribute electricity within the cities, prioritising on the demand.

Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar could not answer a question asked 3-4 times in the session about the capacity of the electricity produced by Wapda.

Gilani says decision on Nato supplies be taken considering national interest

Gilani said that the decision on resumption of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato) supply routes will be taken considering Pakistan’s national interest.

The prime minister said that the government has not compromised on its principles in the past and will not do so in the future.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is likely to be formally approved by the federal cabinet to reopen vital land routes for foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan.

He said that the government does not want to take an “emotional” decision which will not be beneficial for the country.

Reiterating his stance on the right to appeal the Supreme Court’s verdict in the contempt of court case, Gilani said that he is not “scared of any threats” and that he will continue to guard the constitution.

Earlier, Gilani had said that Pakistan’s relationship with 48 countries serving in the Nato cannot be put on stake just because of the US.

On Tuesday, Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) finally gave a go-ahead to lift the almost six-month old blockade on Nato supplies passing through the country.

The supplies were suspended in November last year in reprisal to a Nato air raid on a Pakistani border post that had killed 24 soldiers and strained Pakistan-US relations to the breaking point.

PM briefs cabinet on UK visit

The prime minister said that during his visit to the United Kingdom from May 8 to May 13, 2012, he met UK’s Queen Elizabeth on her diamond jubilee and her reign of 60 years as head of the Commonwealth at the British Deputy High Commission.

He said that he also attended a parliamentary reception held by the speaker.

“I also visited Buckingham Palace for a meeting with Duke of York,” said Gilani. “Apart from the enhanced strategic dialogue review, all major ministers called on me for detailed discussions on various strands of cooperation between Pakistan and the UK.”

The premier said that the warm welcome given to him as an elected prime minister reflects the importance and confidence the UK government attaches to its relations with a democratic Pakistan.

He said that British Prime Minister David Cameron applauded the fact that the current government of Pakistan was working to strengthen democracy in the country.

“His categorical statement that Pakistan’s friend is UK’s friend and Pakistan’s enemy is UK’s enemy was a strong reiteration of Pakistan’s standing and importance in the committee of nations.”

Gilani further said that the UK has vowed to build a deeper, stronger relationship with Pakistan and that that it wants to strengthen relations in the fields of trade, defence, health and education.

“We [Pakistan and the UK] have also agreed to boost bilateral trade,” he said.

Cabinet apprised of CASA-1000 project

While reviewing the status of the implementation of the cabinet’s decisions pertaining to Water and Power Division, the cabinet meeting was informed by Qamar that the CASA-1000 Megawatt project meeting being held in Dubai was expected to make substantial progress.

CASA-1000 is a joint project of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Prime Minister Gilani told the cabinet that economic indicators of Pakistan’s economy were moving in the right direction despite the global recession and the devastating floods of 2010 and 2011.

Shaikh assured the cabinet that full financial support will be extended to the Ministry of Water & Power to eliminate unscheduled loadshedding immediately and also to decrease scheduled loadshedding at the same time.

For this purpose, it was decided to utilise the full thermal and hydel power generation capacity in the country.

Correction: Due to an editing error, an earlier version of this article incorrectly mentioned hydel power as hydal power. The error is regretted.

SHIKARPUR: Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) does not want Sindh to be divided into more provinces at any cost, party chief Nawaz Sharif said while speaking to the media on Wednesday.

Nawaz said that the way Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani and President Asif Ali Zardari are talking about more provinces, they are “playing with fire” and actually are trying to demean the PML-N.

“We are the ones who initiated talk of more provinces. Nawaz Sharif is the one who first talked about the Bahawalpur province, and also of south Punjab, and we feel proud about it,” Nawaz told the media.

He added, “They [Gilani, Zardari] are trying to gather votes in the upcoming elections… They have sidelined Pakistan’s interests to work on their own.”

The PML-N will hold a rally in the Garhi Yaseen area of Shikarpur on Wednesday at 5pm. Sources claimed that around 10,000 seats have been set up at the venue where PML-N leader Marvi Memon will also address the gathering.

ISLAMABAD: Announcing its verdict in the suo motu case regarding corruption worth Rs26.5 billion in Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM), the Supreme Court of Pakistan has ordered that the case be transferred to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), Express News reported on Wednesday.

A three-member bench headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry directed the director-general of FIA to hand over all investigation records to NAB.

The court expressed lack of trust in the investigation conducted by the FIA.

The Supreme Court directed NAB’s chairman to supervise the inquiry and told him to conclude it within three months. The court also directed him to submit a compliance report every 15 days.

Bail of all the accused in the case was also annulled.

The Supreme Court issued a contempt of court notice to Interior Minister Rehman Malik for “unnecessary transfers” of officials conducting the probe, on December 17, 2009.

The court sought a reply from Malik within two weeks when the next hearing of Supreme Court will take place.

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan will indict former law minister, Babar Awan on Thursday, after he withdrew an intracourt appeal on Wednesday, Express News reported.

Awan had filed an intracourt appeal in the court after the court did not consider his unconditional apology. He had offered the apology twice to the court.

Heading a three-member bench, Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry heard Awan’s appeal and allowed him to take his appeal back.

Awan’s counsel, Ali Zafar, maintained during the hearing that the court cannot indict Awan without having made a decision on the unconditional apology he offered twice to the court.

He said that the purpose of contempt of court proceedings is to maintain the respect of the judiciary not to “demean someone”.

The chief justice observed that different cases cited during the hearing were not relevant and that Awan’s counsel should let the court conclude its proceedings.

The former law minister was prosecuted for contempt of court adjudication after he criticised an apex court verdict handed down on December 1, 2011, pertaining to the formation of a judicial commission to probe the Memogate scandal.

In his apology letter, Awan had stated that his comments regarding the judiciary were unintentional, based on inadvertence and that he was offering an unconditional apology for his utterances that have been found prima facie to be disrespectful by this bench.

Headed by Nadeem Afzal Chan, the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) on Tuesday criticised the misuse of 22 luxury and bullet-proof vehicles as rules did not allow anyone to use vehicles above engine capacity of 1,800cc.

It’s the first time the PAC has issued directives against politicians and military brass as the body has so far taken only bureaucrats to task.

“The PAC unanimously decides that by June 15 either all vehicles should be withdrawn or rules be amended supporting the use of luxury vehicles,” Chan said.

The matter came to the notice of the PAC after seven years and if it did not take any decision on merit, the members would be remembered in history as ‘dishonest’, he said.

The PAC cautioned that if by June 15 the vehicles were not taken back, the auditor general of Pakistan (AGP) would frame charges to recover the cost of vehicles and expenses incurred on maintenance from the users.

Cabinet Secretary Nargis Sethi told the committee that the vehicles were bought from a grant issued to the Intelligence Bureau in 2005. The total cost of the vehicles was Rs600 million, Sethi said, adding that then prime minister Shaukat Aziz had ordered the purchase of these vehicles.

Total grant issued to the Intelligence Bureau was Rs2.4 billion. But according to audit documents, from Sept 2004 to Feb 2005 three supplementary grants amounting to Rs1.2 billion were sanctioned for the purchase of vehicles.

Responding to a question, Sethi said that under the rules a secretary could use up to 1,300cc car, and a minister was allowed up to 1,800cc cars, admitting that rules did not permit bullet-proof and luxury cars.

Who is using bullet-proof cars

Currently, Sethi said, the vehicles were being used by Chief of Army Staff Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Chairman Genl Khalid Shameem Wynne, Senate Chairman Nayyar Hussain Bukhari, National Assembly Speaker Dr Fehmida Mirza, Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar, Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira, Industries Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker and Balochistan and KP chief ministers.

Among politicians, Asfandyar Wali of the Awami National Party, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and PML-N President Nawaz Sharif were using the vehicles. “These vehicles were permitted by my predecessors and I cannot dare to call back those,” Sethi stressed.

At the same time, she pointed out that the government was incurring heavy expenses on the maintenance of bullet-proof vehicles and the amount spent on the maintenance of one vehicle could buy a new corolla.

“The use of these cars must not be continued indefinitely and these must be taken back,” said AGP Akhtar Buland Rana.

Sethi said that the premier was using 2005 model cars which were quite old, prompting Noor Alam, a PPP MNA, to remind the secretary that Pakistan was a poor nation and could not afford such luxuries.

‘Misuse’ of authority

In a case of misuse of authority, Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) Chairman Muhammad Yaseen sanctioned an Eid allowance of Rs350,000 for himself, inviting the wrath of PAC.

The matter came to light when the PAC chairman asked the PTA chief whether he had taken an Eid allowance. “I took Eidi as PTA chairman to which I am entitled,” said Yaseen.

Trying to justify his action, Yaseen said that since 2008 the government had not increased packages for professional management posts. To this, the PAC chairman said that if he was dissatisfied with his package he should have resigned.

“The gross package of PTA chairman is Rs1 million per month while I serve on a constitutional post and my total salary is Rs150,000,” countered AGP Rana.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.

The video of the Taliban’s attack on the Bannu Central Jail, considered the largest prison break in the history of the country, was released on Tuesday.

On April 15, nearly 400 prisoners, including some hardcore Taliban militants, escaped after dozens of heavily-armed insurgents launched a brazen attack on the prison in Bannu district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) claimed responsibility for the attack and said that most freed prisoners have reached ‘their destination’.

The video shows that coaches were used to transport militant prisoners after the well-planned and coordinated attack.

The video also shows that guards deployed to protect the jail offered no resistance at all, making it a much easier task for the militants.

The militants were equipped with anti-tank mines, RPG-7 rockets and AK-47 rifles. One of the anti-tank mines was used to blow up the main gate of the central jail – a picture of which was plastered in almost all national and international media.

The video begins with TTP leader Hakimullah Mehsud pledging to fight the Pakistani government to the last man and last bullet, followed by an address by Maulana Wali Rehman Mehsud.

The video also shows footage of a group of militants gathered around an instructor who is briefing them about the operation using a map of the Bannu Jail.

With an easy entrance, the militants searched for their men, especially for Adnan Rasheed – a former junior technician of Pakistan Air Force (PAF) allegedly involved in a plot to assassinate former military ruler Pervez Musharraf – who was led to a coach waiting outside the jail building.

The video shows an interview of Rasheed, who thanks God for his safe release and also assures his friends imprisoned in other jails that they have not been forgotten by their TTP friends.

The rest of the prisoners were also freed. The video shows a militant standing at the gate encouraging the prisoners to come out without any fear.

A little known aspect of the Bannu Jail saga is the release of women prisoners from their barracks who can also be seen in the video coming out of the building and disappearing into the darkness of the night.

Towards the end of the video, three soldiers, said to be kidnapped by the militants, are also shown.

NADRA asked to help gather prisoner data

Meanwhile, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Home and Tribal Affairs Department has requested the federal government to direct the National Database and Registration Authority to help provide data of prisoners who fled after the Bannu jailbreak.

The department issued a notification to this effect on Tuesday.

The notification said that tracing every escaped prisoner was difficult; therefore a list of released or escaped prisoners was sent to NADRA’s K-P general manager to provide Computerised National Identity Cards and photographs in soft and hard copies to assist intelligence agencies.

“Despite a lapse of three weeks, no response has been received,” it said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.

ISLAMABAD: A Nato invitation to Pakistan for a key summit in Chicago hours before a high-level civil-military huddle says it all: The decision to reopen vital land routes for the foreign forces stationed in Afghanistan was a foregone conclusion.

As was expected, the high-powered Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) on Tuesday finally gave a go-ahead to lift the almost six-month old blockade on Nato supplies passing through the country.

The supplies were suspended in November last year in reprisal to a Nato air raid on a Pakistani border post that had killed 24 soldiers and strained Pakistan-US relations to the breaking point.

But after weeks of hectic overt and covert negotiations, the two sides have finally struck a deal.

The DCC, the highest coordination forum between the civil and military authorities on issues of national security, authorised relevant ministries/departments to conclude the ongoing negotiations on the new terms and conditions for resumption of GLOCs (Ground Lines of Communications).

According to the official announcement, the new terms and conditions should incorporate a clause, as recommended by parliament, to the effect that only non-lethal cargo would be allowed to transit through Pakistan to Afghanistan.

Though the statement did not give any timeline, official sources disclosed that the new terms and conditions have already been finalised for the resumption of Nato supplies.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is likely to be formally approved by the federal cabinet, which is due to meet today (Wednesday) in the federal capital.

Interestingly, the government went ahead with its decision without getting an unconditional apology from the US for the deadly US air raid and a halt in the drone attacks inside the tribal regions.

Those two were the main preconditions set by parliament last month for reconfiguring ties with the United States.

In an attempt to tame the possible public backlash, the DCC decided that the foreign ministry would continue to remain engaged with the US on other parliamentary recommendations, including the question of a formal apology and cessation of drone attacks.

It was also decided that the military authorities should negotiate fresh border ground rules of Nato/Isaf to ensure that Salala-like incidents do not recur.

It welcomed the ‘unconditional invitation’ extended by Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen to President Asif Zardari to attend the historic gathering of over 60 world leaders to discuss the Afghan endgame.

Earlier, Rasmussen telephoned President Zardari and invited him to the Nato summit being held in Chicago on May 20-21.

Last week, the Nato chief had tacitly linked Pakistan’s participation in the summit with the resumption of supply lines.

However, the presidential spokesperson insisted that the invitation was unconditional and not linked to the opening of Nato supply routes or to any other issue. The DCC endorsed the president’s visit to the summit. The committee also discussed parliament’s call for the expulsion of foreign fighters, if found, on Pakistan’s soil.

(Read: Reopening the supply routes)

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.

Justice Umar Ata Bandial observed that the issues raised by the petitioner were of “grave importance” and that the case should be heard by a larger bench. He then forwarded the case to the LHC Chief Justice with a request to constitute a larger bench.

Advocate AK Dogar submitted, on behalf of Advocate Shahensha Shamil Paracha, that since April 26, Yousaf Raza Gilani had ceased to be the prime minister.

Justice Bandial pointed out that the prime minister had the right to file an appeal against his conviction.

The PM had already made it clear that neither he nor his successor would write a letter to the Swiss authorities asking them to reopen the cases against President Zardari, replied the counsel, adding that there was no likelihood of him getting any relief from the Supreme Court in the appeal.

Dogar then said that Gilani should be asked to “explain” official visits, both domestic and international, after his conviction. He said that all the expenses, which Gilani had incurred after his conviction, should be recovered from his personal account.

After hearing the arguments, Justice Bandial issued notices to the prime minister and the Attorney General of Pakistan. The court also asked the attorney general to assist it in the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.

The initial inquiry was conducted by FIA’s Commercial Banking Circle in 2009.

According to sources, the inquiry was finalised by the agency in 2010, when it sought permission to register a case.

Senior FIA authorities permitted the filing of the case in February 2011; however, another inquiry was carried out before the case was supposed to be registered because of its highly sensitive nature – 16 top ranking officials of the National Bank of Pakistan were involved in the scam.

Meanwhile, trade union leader Syed Jahangir filed an application in the Supreme Court saying that the FIA was evading registration of the case.

The SC ordered on April 30 that the case be registered against the people held responsible in the inquiry before the next hearing.

Sources added that the FIA Commercial Banking Circle registered a case against several officials of the NBP including the president of the bank at the time of misappropriation.

The case has been registered under section 209/43 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Prevention of Corruption Act.

In his application before the Supreme Court, Jahangir also accused certain FIA officials of not registering a case against NBP in exchange for getting jobs for their relatives in the bank.

Those who took up jobs in the NBP as part of the bribe include close relatives of former director-generals, an additional director on deputation and an investigation officer in FIA.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.

The 12-member Parliamentary Committee on the Appointment of CEC elected Religious Affairs Minister Khurshid Shah as its head after Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F)’s Ghafoor Haideri – one of the six opposition members – voted in his favour.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), meanwhile, finalised three names for the post which will be formally put before the committee by Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, the opposition leader in the National Assembly, sources told The Express Tribune.

According to sources, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, after consulting his party’s legal cell and lawyers, approved the names of Acting CEC Justice Shakirullah Jan, Justice (retd) Ghulam Rabbani and Justice (retd) Sardar Raza Khan.

The PPP had proposed the names of Justice (retd) Munir A Sheikh, Justice (retd) Amirul Mulk Mengal and Justice (retd) Qurban Alvi for the crucial post which could ultimately decide the fate of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani who has been convicted by the apex court in a contempt case.

Parliamentary meeting proceedings

On Tuesday, the body rejected PML-N’s demand to rotate the chairmanship between the government and the opposition.

In the bi-cameral panel, the PML-N has five and the JUI-F one member, while three belong to the PPP and one each from its three coalition partners — Muttahida Qaumi Movement, Awami National Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid.

JUI-F’s Haideri, who is currently hospitalised, did not attend the meeting and casted his vote through a letter, which swung the balance in favour of the ruling coalition.

“It’s not a big deal. Election of the chairman doesn’t really make any difference. The real issue is whether the committee can appoint a new CEC or not,” said PML-N member Lt Gen (retd) Abdul Qadir Baloch.

Obstacles

The PPP and the PML-N have different interpretations of the procedure of appointing CEC laid down in the 20th Constitutional Amendment passed by parliament earlier this year.

The ruling party says the committee needs to approve one of the three names sent to it with a simple majority. It means the PPP can have a candidate of its choice with the JUI-F voting in its favour.

However, the opposition thinks otherwise.

Chaudhry Nisar has said that according to Rules of Procedures and Conduct of Business in the National Assembly 2007, the committee is required to approve a name with a two-thirds majority, and not simple majority.

PML-N’s strategy

According to PML-N’s strategy, the party wants any one of the names it has nominated for the post. They said that according to the Constitution, only the committee could decide the final name but they did not trust JUI-F’s Haidri. Keeping that in mind, sources said that the party has decided focus on the rules of the procedure’s two-thirds majority clause.

PPP’s strategy

Although the PPP has apparently failed to succeed in appointing Justice Munir Sheikh as the new CEC, it has devised another strategy.

According to sources, since the coalition’s six members plus JUI-F’s vote does not make two-thirds majority, the PPP has decided to amend the rule of procedure in the coming week.

And for this purpose, according to sources, the government has asked the law ministry to prepare a draft for amendment.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2012.