Pakistan Views

Secretary General PML-Q Mushahid Hussain Syed said he will back any move from PML-N and PPP against president powers to dissolve the assembly under the constitution Article 58-2-B.
We will extend cooperation to the new government Mushahid said, while talking in a private TV program.

Pakistan Navy Chief, Admiral Muhammad Afzal Tahir has said that the Indian seabed missile test would spark a new arms race in the region.
Following the inaugural ceremony of a utility ship at the Karachi Shipyard here, Admiral Afzal Tahir in a chat with the media said that the Indian seabed missile test would trigger arms race in the region and added, “It is sensitive issue and Pakistan has an eye on it.”
He said that Pakistan was a key-ally in the war against terrorism, but its mandate was limited. The Naval Chief said that Pakistan would not become an ally in the Iran war, as Iran was a neighboring country, with whom, we have strong cultural ties.

Some unknown persons blew off the security check-post by an explosive device here.
Sources said that some unknown persons destroyed Dir Duniwon check-post by explosive device. However, no loss of life took place, as the check-post was vacant. Political officials told that investigations into the incident have started.

Twenty three students from Karachi have achieved top positions in the world in O’ and A’ level examination held under Cambridge University and all over 52 students achieved distinctions. This was stated by Regional Manager South Asia, University of Cambridge International Examinations, William Bickerdike while addressing a news conference at the British Deputy HighCommission here on Tuesday. Director Examination Services Pakistan of the British Council, John Gildea, Provincial Director British Council Sindh and Balochistan, Syed Mashood Rizvi, and Director Examinations Karachi of the British Council, Asim Saeed Khan, were also present on the occasion. Bickerdike pointed out that 52 students from Pakistan achieved the highest examination result in the world for a Cambridge O- level, an international AS level or an international A- level. Of these, as many as 23 were from Karachi, he further stated. “Pakistani students have been consistently performing very strongly”, Bickerdike remarked. “I have always been impressed by the high standard of the marks which they achieve in their examinations”, he added.
Bickerdike said that to achieve the highest global marks in the face of so much competition from the rest of the world is all the more commendable.
John Gildea also praised the performance of the students from Pakistan in the CIE examinations.

A Supreme Court bench dismissed three petitions against National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) on Wednesday morning, as the petitioners Qazi Hussain Ahmed, Shahbaz Sharif and Tariq Asad did not pursue the petitions.
Three out of the five constitutional petitions were earlier filed against the National Reconciliation Ordinance.
A five-member special Bench of the Supreme Court headed by the Chief Justice, Justice Abdul Hameed Dogar and four other judges Justice Faqir Muhammad Khokhar, Justice Muhammad Ijaz Yusuf and Justice Ijazul Hassan heard the petitions.
Dr. Mubasshar Hassan, Muslim League-N’s president Shahbaz Sharif, Jamaat-e-Islami Amir, Qazi Hussain Ajmad, Roedad Khan and Tariq Asad Advocate had filed the petitions against the NRO issued by President Pervez Musharraf.

Election victors are to hold the first joint meeting of their new MPs on Wednesday in a show of strength against President Pervez Musharraf, party officials said. Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) grouping and the Awami National Party (ANP) agreed to form a coalition last week. Musharraf’s backers were trounced in the February 18 polls and the coalition of opposition parties is demanding that the new parliament should be convened as soon as possible.
“Today’s meeting will be a show of strength from the coalition partners,” said ANP leader Afsandyar Wali Khan, who will attend the meeting alongside PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and PPP co-chairman, Asif Ali Zardari.
“Musharraf should convene the parliament session as early as possible now,” Khan told AFP. The lunchtime meeting will bring together 89 lawmakers from the PPP, 67 from Pakistan Muslim League-N and 10 from the ANP.
The coalition has also been wooing several independent MPs in a bid to gain the two-thirds majority necessary to seek the impeachment of Musharraf, who seized power in a coup in 1999. Nawaz has openly called for President Musharraf to step down following the defeat of his allies in the elections, but the parties have not yet said whether they will try to impeach the president. Local media reports say Washington, Pakistan’s key economic and military backer, is trying to persuade them to give the key US ally in the “war on terror” a smooth exit from power. US Senator Joe Biden, one of three senators who observed the elections, said on Sunday that the political parties should not focus on old grudges and should “give him (Musharraf) a graceful way to move.”

Muttahida Quami Movement’s leader Altaf Hussain assured PPP that they will not create hurdles and will make the government firmer despite of sitting in the opposition. He was speaking to MQM’s newly elected National Assembly candidates’ conference in a telephonic conversation.
He added that MQM believes in democracy. If MQM will sit in the opposition it will do constructive and positive work he added.
Altaf said that MQM will appreciate every step taken by the government for the betterment of the nation. He congratulated all newly elected candidates and asked them to work wholeheartedly for the nation.

In order to give ample time to the new parliament for the restoration of judges, detained president Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan has withdrawn “Long March” call on March 9 till the new government is formed. The decision to delay “long march” has been taken after the controversy erupted the issue that it was too early to launch a long march and the parliament in waiting should be given appropriate time to resolve judges’ issue.
The lawyers throughout the country now would observe a Black Day on March 9 when the CJP was first suspended and lawyers have launched their relentless ongoing movement.
The SCBA’s Media Advisor Muhammad Azhar Siddiqui said the long march has been delayed unless the new parliamentarians sworn in and the new government is formed. Then the new government would be given at least 15 days time to reinstate judges and then a new date would be announced for long march.
In a letter written to bar associations, Aitzaz said, “lawyers do intend to give Parliament time to restore the judiciary, but with General Musharraf continuing in power and opposing the restoration of judges, parliament needs our ultimatums as a back-up.”
“Our Chief Justice remains under arrest for four months with his children while we are being lectured on statesmanship. He has not surrendered. Nor will the lawyers.”
It is thus that the lawyers stand by our call to launch our long march on March 9. The lawyers’ purpose in giving that date is to give our political parties the required backing that they may need to resist pressure to give up on restoration of judiciary. The lawyers will, however, accommodate any genuine need to readjust to a different schedule.
The lawyers trust and respect political parties. But they do not trust General Musharraf. Given the humiliation of his party, General Musharraf should have quit. With his exit, the lawyers’ suspicion and impatience would also have disappeared and greater adjustments made possible. Aitzaz Ahsan also asked lawyers to remain united because last week the regime’s agencies began to work on a plan to divide the lawyers’ movement. The best way to do that was to discredit and malign the name of the Bar leadership.
He also took lawyers in confidence on the issues being raised.
“I became counsel for the Chief Justice, later of former justice Wajihuddin and a candidate for president SCBA at the request of the heroes of the lawyers’ movement Munir A. Malik, Ali Kurd, Tariq Mehmood and other senior counsel. There was no conspiracy or ulterior motive. On the first day of my term, I was arrested. So were the 60 judges”. But what is now evident is that the Chief Justice and judges cannot be detained indefinitely.
The day they are out, they will come to the lawyers in the more than 100 Bar Associations of the country. People will greet them throughout their journeys. I will be with them. Therefore there is an urgency in the government campaign to divide legal fraternity. However, the trust you have reposed in me is a burden that I intend to carry to the end.
Lawyers have been beaten, bludgeoned, tear gassed, fired at, burnt, bombed, killed and arrested. It was their movement that opened up space for our national parties to obtain power. The lawyers will, therefore, be only too happy if parliament exercises its sovereign authority. But a sovereign parliament cannot be constructed on the debris of an independent judiciary. Yet the lawyers will strongly resist any move by Musharraf to invoke Article 58(2) (b) of the constitution. The legal community will defend this parliament with all their energies.
Lastly, he thanked and appreciated lawyers for their continued support to him and his colleagues in these very difficult times. He said, “the lawyers have stood by me despite the propaganda and disinformation of the supporters of the regime. “Your movement is not going to disintegrate. All rumours in this regard are false”, he said.
Aitzaz said, “the single object before me is only and only to have our independent judges restored. If the lawyers are able to achieve that end, it would be one of the most remarkable achievements in history. “I therefore call upon you to beware conspiracies to create divisions within the lawyers’ movement and to malign the name of bar leadership”, he concluded.

Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain along with former chief minister Punjab Chaudhry Pervez Elahi called on President Pervez Musharraf at presidential camp office, Rawalpindi, here on late Tuesday night,

During the meeting, the PML-Q leaders discussed the current political situation arisen out from the February 18 polls with the president.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Tuesday said it would extend unconditional support to the PPP government in the centre but it would not become a part of the cabinet. Addressing a news conference here, PML-N central leader and newly elected member of National Assembly from NA 52 and NA 53.
Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said the cabinet members would have to take oath from the President under the amended constitution and PML-N was against this. He said the PML-N parliamentarians would take oath in the National Assembly under the 1973 constitution and not under any “mutilated form” of the constitution. The PML-N leader said the party had some concerns about a coalition between PPP and MQM in the center and these concerns had been conveyed to the top leadership of the PPP. However, the PML-N had decided not to create problems for PPP to form the government in the center if PPP wants MQM support, he added.
“PML-N is enjoying massive support after February 18 elections and would support PPP for six months in the centre to solve all issues,” Nisar Khan said, adding that the party would continue its support to the PPP, if needed, for the development of the country. “We are going to support the PPP without demanding any ministry. The PML-N is only seeking a free judiciary in the country,” he added.
He said although the PML-N had majority in Punjab to form government but it would do so with the support of PPP. Chaudhry Nisar announced that Mian Shahbaz Sharif would be the Punjab Chief Minister. Shahbaz Sharif is not a member of Punjab assembly but he is expected to seek a seat through a by-election.
About Asif Ali Zardari’s reported statement to work with the President, he said that it could be a case of wrong interpretation. He said PML-N and PPP had same stand on the judiciary issue. The PML-N leader reiterated Nawaz Sharif’s demand for President Pervez Musharraf to resign and respect the verdict of the masses. He said the Army House in Rawalpindi should be returned to the army.
About suicide attacks, Chaudhry Nisar said the party strongly condemned such acts. He contended that the poor security environment in the country was the results of the policies pursued in the past eight years.
“The PML-N wants restoration of pre-November 3 judiciary which will decide eligibility of Pervez Musharraf to stand in election to the office of president,” the said. He said the PML-N would accept whatever verdict was given by the restored judiciary. Chaudhry Nisar said a joint meeting of parliamentary parties of PML-N, PPP and ANP has been convened on February 27 to demand immediate session of the National Assembly and smooth transfer of power.