Pakistan army chief Kayani cancels UK visit

LONDON: Pakistan’s powerful army chief has canceled a Monday visit to Britain as US outrage grows over allegations that Pakistani spies helped insurgents attack American targets in Afghanistan.

Britain’s Ministry of Defense said Gen. Ashfaq Pervez Kayani, who was expected to meet privately with UK Defense Minister Liam Fox, had canceled. It declined to speculate on why the visit was scrapped.

A Pakistani official said Kayani was staying in Pakistan to hold talks on the crisis sparked by the US accusations against Pakistan’s military-run Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the situation.

Last week, the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Mike Mullen, accused the ISI of having backed an Afghan insurgent group in the planning and execution of a Sept. 13 assault on the US Embassy in Afghanistan as well as a truck bomb that wounded 77 American soldiers days earlier.

Kayani, widely considered the most powerful man in Pakistan, has dismissed the allegations as baseless.

But a Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee has said the US should consider military action as an option against Pakistan if it continues to support terrorist attacks against Americans in Afghanistan.

Sen. Lindsey Graham also said assistance to Pakistan should be reconfigured, and that the US should no longer designate an amount of aid for Pakistan but have a more “transactional relationship” with the country.

PM convenes APC on September 29 to discuss national security

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has convened an All Parties Conference (APC) Thursday to discuss with political leaders serious challenges to national security and to forge a united stance in the face of US pressure and serious allegations levelled against the armed forces and the ISI.

In the upcoming conference, political leaders would be briefed by concerned officials over the latest challenges to national security.

The meeting would also discuss way to deal with these challenges.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Gilani telephoned leaders of various political parties and invited them to attend the national conference.

US senator says ‘all options on table’ against Pakistan

NEW YORK - The US should consider a military response to the Pakistan’s alleged support of the Haqqani militant group that attacked the American embassy in Kabul, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said.

“We need to put Pakistan on notice,” Graham, a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said Sunday on the ‘Fox News Sunday’ program. “If they continue to embrace terrorism as a part of their national strategy, we’re going to have to put all options on the table, including defending our troops.”

His statement came as tensions between US and Pakistan continued to climb.

Graham said lawmakers would muster bipartisan support “to elevate our response” if needed. He didn’t specify what actions he would back.

Pakistan must stop providing safe havens for the Haqqani group, said David Plouffe, a White House senior adviser, on CNN’s “State of the Union.” US and Afghan officials have said the network of militants, supported by Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is behind a Sept 13 assault on the US embassy with rocket-propelled grenades.

Graham said Congress should reconsider its practice of approving a designated amount of aid for Pakistan. The administration is talking about whether to change its requests for aid to the country, Plouffe said. “Those discussions are happening between our foreign policy and national security teams,” he said

Chinese Vice PM due in Capital today

ISLAMABAD (Online) - Against the back-drop of deteriorating Pak-US relations, Chinese Vice Prime Minister Hui Liangyu would be arriving here today (Monday) on a two-day official visit to Pakistan.

During the two days, he would meet senior military and political leadership of Pakistan and would discuss matters related to regional security, recent spate of US allegations, bilateral relations and other matters of mutual interest.

Sources told Online that during his trip he would give an important message to the Pakistani military and political leaders on the behalf of Chinese leadership

Zardari lauds Chinese support on key issues

ISLAMABAD (APP) -

                                      President Asif Ali Zardari Sunday said the government and people of Pakistan deeply appreciate the consistent support of the government and people of China on issues of concern.

The President was talking to Ambassador Luo Zhaohui, Director General Department of Asian Affairs of the Chinese Foreign Affairs Ministry who was accompanied by the Deputy Ambassador of China in Islamabad Huang Xilian. Pakistan’s Ambassador in China Masood Khan was also present in the meeting, which took place at the Presidency.

Bilateral issues were discussed during the meeting. The President also thanked the Chinese government for its assistance in the rescue and relief of flood victims in Sindh.

Until last year Ambassador Luo Zhaohui has been China’s Ambassador in Islamabad for nearly three years.

He arrived in Islamabad ahead of the visit of Meng Jianzhu State Councilor of China on Monday during which he will hold talks with senior political leadership of Pakistan. Later the President also hosted dinner for Ambassador Luo.

All stand united for national defence

ISLAMABAD-

Mounting threat of US attack on Pakistani soil after Islamabad’s blunt refusal to blindly implement Washington’s orders against the Haqqanis has generated a national fervour for country’s defence, swinging Prime Minister Gilani into action.

The premiere Sunday contacted leaders of all shades of opinion to take them on board and inform that he was going to call an all-party conference in the days ahead to hammer out with consensus a strategy to deal with the situation. The mainstream political parties across the national spectrum vowed to go to any extent to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, vowing to stand by the government and the army in this noble cause.

Gilani, who met President Asif Ali Zardari later the same day, also asked Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar to immediately return from New York after her address to the UN General Assembly on Tuesday. A PM House spokesperson said the premiere Sunday spoke to the foreign minister twice and asked her to forcefully project Pakistan’s point of view on that important platform.

The prime minister’s initiative of direct contacts with all the political leaders was appreciated by all political quarters who are concerned over the gravity of the situation because of the widening divergences between Pakistan and the United States.

PML-N President Nawaz Sharif, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujat Hussain, MQM chief Altaf Hussain, JUI-F amir Maulana Fazlur Rehman, ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan, Jamaat-i-Islami amir Syed Munawwar Hasan, Awami Muslim League President Sheik Rashid Ahmed, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf Chairman Imran Khan, PML-Q Likeminded President Salim Saifullah Khan, PPP-S Chairman Aftab Sherpao, JUP President Maulana Anas Noorani and Fata leader Munir Orakzai are among the leaders the prime minister talked to.

The prime minister told the political leaders that they would be given a briefing on the situation and then in the light of their suggestions a strategy would be framed. No date has been set, though various political leaders said the APC would be held during the next few days.

Although there have been ups and downs in the past in the relations between the two allies in war on terror, the ties plummeted to the lowest ebb when the United States alleged that Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) supported the Haqqani group, an accusation Pakistan strongly denies, and a number of its officials issued threats that the US could launch ground attack in Waziristan to get the Haqqanis.

A session of the National Assembly has already been called for October 3 to discuss the situation arising out of the US allegations of “exporting terrorism” to Afghanistan. It is believed the APC would be held much before the NA session.

Political leaders have different assessments about the likely course the US could take in the changed situation. However, all leaders are of the view that the US has lost the battle in Afghanistan despite spending billions of dollars over the past 10 years and was now trying to make Pakistan a scapegoat.

Some leaders said that they told the premier that he has taken the initiative very late. Still, they said, it was a step in the right direction.

Following the contacts by PM Gilani with mainstream political parties, PTI Chairman Imran Khan contacted JI amir Syed Munawar Hasan on telephone and discussed with him the situation, suggesting him to formulate a joint strategy for participation in the APC.

PTI chief Imran Khan said that if US attacked Pakistan, the nation would stand against the US. He said that he would attend all parties’ conference as it is for the national cause.

Senator Zahid Khan of ANP said that Pakistan is a sovereign state and cannot be run on the foreign dictation. He said that any foreign interference in Pakistan would not be tolerable.

PML-Q Senior Vice President Sheikh Waqqas Akram said that the Core Commanders Conference in this situation was a need of the hour. He said that the nation has full confidence on his military and political leadership and would welcome every decision being made by them. He further said that the people of Pakistan stand united with Pakistan army and ISI. He said that the international community should recognise our sacrifices in the war against terror and the US doesn’t try to blame Pakistan for its failures.

When contacted, Senior MQM leader Haider Abbas Rizvi said that every nation in the world has its own interest, which they serve with their full efforts. Sometimes situation requires some specific measures. In case of internal and external pressure, Rizvi said, “We should always serve our national interest.” To a question, he said that this is very serious situation and needs to be dealt with wisdom. The government and other forces are united for the solidarity and integrity of Pakistan.

CIA created Haqqani network, says Malik

ISLAMABAD:

Interior Minister Rehman Malik said on Sunday that Haqqani network was created and trained by Central Intelligence Agency of the United States.

Talking to reporters at a ceremony held by Islamabad police in connection with the seizure of a large cache of weapons, the minister said: “The Haqqanis have no links with Pakistan and they are operating from Afghanistan. Those claiming otherwise should give a credible evidence of its presence in Pakistan.”

The interior minister’s statement came in response to the US allegations that the Pakistan government and Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) had close links with the network and were complicit in the attacks on US interests inside Afghanistan.
Mr Malik said Pakistan never blamed the CIA or Afghanistan directly over various attacks in Mohmand Agency or other areas in Pakistan. The government, he said, was determined to eliminate terrorism and the future of Pakistan was safe because of the unity of the nation against this menace.
“Any aggression from the outside or mischievous activity from the inside will not be tolerated. Pakistan’s sovereignty will never be compromised and everyone will stand with the Pakistan army and law-enforcement agencies to counter any challenge,” he said.

He said that no compromise would be made on Pakistan’s sovereignty because the country suffered a loss of $68 billion in the fight against terrorism.

Mr Malik called for a strong immigration system on the Pakistan-Afghan border and urged the international community not to forget Pakistan’s sacrifices in the fight against terrorism. “No one will be allowed to enter into Pakistan without immigration,” he said.

Answering a question about the cross-border infiltration of terrorists, the minister said: “We have been asking the Afghan government for last three years for installation of biometric system on the border to stop movement of terrorists but the neighbouring country does not respond.”

He said the government was fully cooperating with the US but even then it was being blamed for patronising the militants.

Mr Malik said that Pakistan was promised for capacity building of security forces but only a meagre support was extended in that regard.

“I appreciate President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani for providing Rs5 billion to enhance the efficiency of law-enforcement agencies in Sindh,” he said.

He said that several areas, including cooperation in the fight against terrorism, capacity building, drug smuggling and other issues would be discussed with the Chinese deputy prime minister and other officials at high level.

The minister said that some terrorists wanted to disrupt peace in Islamabad by attacking important buildings and information regarding them would be shared with the media after their arrest.

He said that Islamabad Police had foiled a bid to smuggle a large cache of arms, including six mini machine guns, 14 Kalashnikovs, four 12 bore pump action, one 12 bore double barrel, one sniper rifle and over 30,000 rounds from a vehicle near Motorway interchange.