Mehrangate: IB chief denies knowledge of ‘secret funds’ misuse

Air marshal (retd) Asghar Khan. – File Photo

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday resumed hearing the case of the Inter Services Intelligence’s (ISI) alleged misuse of secret funds in reference to a petition filed by Tehrik-i-Istiqlal chief Air Martial (retd) Asghar Khan, DawnNews reported.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice Khilji Arif Hussain and Justice Tariq Parvez was hearing the case.
Asghar Khan had filed the petition in 1996, accusing the ISI of financing several politicians during the 1990 elections to create the Islami Jamhoori Ittehad (IJI) and prevent Benazir Bhutto’s PPP from winning. The ISI allegedly dished out Rs140 million for the purpose. The petition was based on the affidavit of former ISI chief Asad Durrani.
The SC today ordered the Attorney General to present the details of the Intelligence Bureau’s (IB) alleged misuse Rs 290 million within half an hour after the AG informed the court that .the judicial investigative reports relating to Habib Bank and Mehran Bank are missing from the records. A search of these documents is in the process, the AG had said.
The SC also turned down the AG’s request to allow him time till Monday to prepare his response pertaining to IB’s alleged corruption.
The apex court also summoned IB chief Aftab Sultan on an immediate basis.
“If the ex-Army chief and ex-ISI chief can be presented in the court then IB chief is also accountable to the court,” the court remarked.
Appearing before the court, the IB Chief said that he had no knowledge of the alleged funds being issued by the agency.
The agencies deal in cash and not through banks, said Sultan.
Moreover, the agency’s secret files do not hold any records of the purpose of particular funds being used, he added.
Tariq Lodhi was the head of the IB at the alleged time of issuance of the funds in question, the IB chief added.
“Secret funds are meant to be used for national interest, not for being used against democracy,” Chief justice remarked.
The bench subsequently adjourned the hearing till April 23.
“To this day, not a single election in this country has been free and fair,” petitioner Asghar Khan told reporters outside the court premises after the hearing was adjourned.

Rental Power Projects declared illegal by SC

Supreme Court of Pakistan – File Photo

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Friday declared Rental Power Projects (RPPs) as illegal and also ordered them to be shut down, DawnNews reported.
The SC was announcing the verdict of the case of corruption in Rental Power Projects (RPPs) which had already been held in reserve on December 14, 2011.
A two-member bench comprising of the Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain was hearing the suo motu case.
The apex court said that the rules and regulations were violated in these projects due to which the national exchequer witnessed losses of billions.
Prior to RPPs, the electricity generation system had sufficient potential, but “instead of taking curative steps for its improvement,… billions of rupees were spent on BHIKKI and SHARAQPUR RPPs, which proved complete failures”, read Friday’s verdict.
The verdict further holds the finance ministry, WAPDA, PEPCO and GENCOs responsible for “causing huge losses to the public exchequer, which run into billions of rupees by making 7% to 14% down payments to, and purchasing electricity on higher rates, from RPPs.”
Furthermore, the bench also declares the RPPs “incapable of meeting the demand of electricity on a short term basis.”
Moreover, the SC ordered to initiate proceedings against the Former Water and Power Minister Raja Pervez Asharaf and all others involved in the case.
“The contracts of RPPs are ordered to be rescinded forthwith and all the persons responsible for the same are liable to be dealt with for civil and criminal action in accordance with law”, adds the apex court’s decision.
The verdict adds: “Functionaries of PEPCO, GENCOs, PPIB and NEPRA…who had derived financial benefits from the RPPs contracts…[were] involved in corruption and corrupt practices”, and are also “liable both for civil and criminal action”.
On December 15, 2011, chief justice had taken suo motu notice on applications of Housing Minister Syed Faisal Saleh Hayat and Khwaja Asif who alleged that corruption had been committed in the affairs of the RPPs.
On Novermber 24, 2011, Raja Pervez Asharaf told the court that Pakistan needed an addition of 1200 MW every year as the power requirement would increase to 1,30,000 MW by the year 2030.
Appearing before the two-judge bench, comprising of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry and Justice Khilji Arif Hussain, the former minister defended himself, saying the country’s power shortage solution was in in hydel power generation and not in thermal which was costly.

University rocked by sex scandal again

ISLAMABAD, March 27: All public and private organisations in the country are required to implement the Sexual Harassment Act but a female university teacher could pick up the courage of reporting her case only after reaching the safety of a foreign land.
Higher Education Commission’s Executive Director Dr Sohail Naqvi confirmed to Dawn that a female faculty member of the Hazara University, currently doing PhD in the United Kingdom, has filed an application with the HEC that she suffered sexual harassment at the university.
“It is a very serious issue. We will take action if the university fails to investigate and act on its own in a given time,” he said.
Initial investigation has shown the charge was correct, according to an HEC official.
“There is a cult in the university and some top officers in its management, deans and female faculty members are involved in the racket,” he said requesting anonymity.
However, the university management, instead of explaining its position, has sought explanation from the complainant for “violating the procedure” by taking her complaint directly to the HEC.
In her application to the HEC, the complainant explained that she had no chance of being heard by the university as a powerful coterie there blocked and dumped such complaints.
She said she was “one of the many victims” of sexual harassment in the Hazara University, which is situated about 20 kilometres from Mansehra.
She got the chance when she arrived in UK on a scholarship and decided to write to the HEC to save other students and faculty members, she said.
Vice-Chancellor Hazara University, Dr Syed Sakhawat Shah was not aware of the incident.
When Dawn pointed him the explanation sought by his university from the complainant, he said it would have been done “in routine” and without his knowledge.
However he promised to look into it.
“After getting her application we decided to countercheck as there could be personal vendetta behind it,” said an HEC official.
“In probing the case, we contacted other female faculty members who confirmed the allegation of the complainant. They said some university officers and faculty members collaborated in the dirty affair,” he added.
Subsequently, the HEC asked the university management investigate the matter itself and report back within six weeks. But the management went seeking an explanation from the ‘victim’ for approaching HEC over its head.
A similar incident had rocked the university’s Haripur campus in 2010 and the accused lecturer was dismissed because of hue and cry in the media.
Meanwhile, the HEC sought help from Dr Fouzia Saeed, who has been working against sexual harassment and has formed a network called AASHA for the purpose. She investigated a similar case in which a top rank officer of the Punjab University was
dismissed.

Banned leaders give tough time to administration

ISLAMABAD, March 27: It may be the ‘high security’ capital of a country grappling with terrorism that is chock-a-block with police, rangers and check posts but Islamabad and its security apparatus proved no match for two banned leaders.
For six hours, Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi, leader of the banned outfit Ahl-i-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) and Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed played a game of cat and mouse with the Islamabad police on Tuesday.
They appeared and disappeared; were stopped and freed; intercepted in their cars and protected by their armed guards, as crowds gathered to watch the spectacle and traffic jams ensued.
Eventually the harassed, red-faced and embarrassed policemen managed to hold Maulana Ludhianvi, only after negotiations and while Saeed escaped.
He was shifted to Industrial area police station and registered a case under PPC section 188 on the complaint of a police officer. Within minutes, however, the city administration granted him bail.
At this point interior minister Rehman Malik intervened and blocked his bail orders.
Maulana Ludhianvi was not released till the filing of this report.
He, along with Hafiz Saeed, had appeared at Parade Ground, defying a ban on their entry into Islamabad, to participate in a
protest and sit-in organised by Defaa-i-Pakistan Council (DFC) against the government’s presumed move to restore Nato supplies.He somehow got information that the capital police and administration were going to arrest them, after which both the leaders disappeared from the Parade Ground. Later Maulana Ludhianvi was spotted at the camp of missing persons’ families while delivering speech.
Secretariat Police SHO, however, intercepted him and held him while he was leaving the camp by saying that “the police are arresting you in connection with the case registered with Margalla police station.” But Maulana Ludhianvi demanded his arrest warrant.
As the police failed to produce the arrest warrant, the activists of ASWJ took their leader away in a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV).
This led to alerting of the patrolling officers and policemen deployed at the checkpoints. They were asked to check each and every vehicle.
Besides, the police also blocked the slipways and attached roads of main arteries to intercept and arrest Maulana Ludhianvi.
As a result, hundreds of vehicles were stuck up in the worst traffic jam making miles long queues on I.J. Principal Road,
Expressway, Islamabad Highway and Ninth Avenue.
At around 6pm, the vehicle of Maulana Ludhianvi was spotted in the traffic jam on the Ninth Avenue near Industrial Area police station while heading towards Rawalpindi. In response, the police placed blocks and parked their vehicles on the avenue.
All the SHOs, sub-divisional police officers, superintendents of police, were called at the Ninth Avenue along with contingent of Anti-Terrorism Squad, Anti-Riot Unit and police reserves to intercept and arrest the Maulana.
The guards of Maulana Ludhianvi – Punjab Police commandoes – aimed their weapons at the capital police and the officers while the activists cordoned their leader’s vehicle to avoid his arrest.
Later the activists of ASWJ removed the blocks from the road and made the way for their leader. However, the driver of Superintendent of Police City Circle chased the SUV and intercepted it on I.J. Principal Road.
Maulana Ludhianvi again demanded his arrest warrant, but neither the police nor any assistant commissioner or magistrate issued it. Later politician Ijazul Haq, ASWJ’s leader Fazaur Rehman Khalil and Abdullah Gul, son of Hamid Gul, also reached the
spot for negotiation.
In the meantime, Deputy Commissioner Amir Ahmed Ali also reached and thorough negotiations were held between the DC, SSP Yousuf, Mr Haq, Maulana Khalil and Abdullah Gul. After half an hour negotiation Mr Haq, Maulana Khalil and Mr Gul returned
to take Maulana Ludhianvi to police station.
Before leaving the spot Maulana Ludhianvi addressed the activists and asked them to remain there. Till the filling of the report, negotiations were still in progress in the police station.

’پاکستان کی حفاطت کی ذمے داری کس پر

صوبہ پنجاب میں نویں جماعت کے لیے ہونے والے امتحانات کے پرچوں میں سوالات کے ممکنہ جوابات میں صدر پاکستان آصف علی زرداری اور وزیراعظم یوسف رضا گیلانی کے نام شامل کیے جانے کی تحقیقات شروع کر دی گئیں ہیں۔

تحقیقات کا حکم صوبائی وزیر تعلیم مجتبیٰ شجاع الرحمان نے دیا ہے۔

بی بی سی کے نامہ نگار عبادالحق کے مطابق بدھ کے روز لاہور اور ملتان میں نویں جماعت کے امتحانات کے دوران امیدواروں کو جو پرچے تقسیم کیے گئے اُن میں صدر آصف علی زرداری اور وزیراعظم یوسف رضا گیلانی کے نام معروضی سوالات کے ممکنہ جوابات میں شامل تھے۔
لاہور بورڈ کی طرف سے اردو کے پرچے میں نویں جماعت کے امیدواروں سے یہ سوال پوچھاگیا کہ ’ہمارا نظام زندگی کس چیز پر قائم ہے، اور اس سوال کے جواب کے لیے طالب علموں کو چار آپشنز دیے گے، ان چار آپشنز میں دین، دنیا، دولت کے علاوہ صدر پاکستان زرداری کا نام بھی شامل تھا۔
اسی طرح ملتان بورڈ کے پرچے میں یہ سوال پوچھا گیا کہ ’پاکستان کی حفاطت کی ذمے داری کس پر ہے، اور ممکنہ جوابات
میں اللہ تعالٰی، عوام، صدر زرداری اور یوسف رضا گیلانی کا نام درج تھا۔‘
اُ دھر لاہور بورڈ نے نویں جماعت کے پرچے میں شامل سوال سے اپنی لاتعلقی کا اظہار کیا ہے اور بیان میں یہ وضاحت کی ہے کہ یہ پرچہ ڈیرہ غازی خان بورڈ سے بن کر آیا تھا اور وہیں کے کسی استاد نے یہ پرچہ بنایا ہے۔
پنجاب کے وزیر تعلیم مجتبیٰ شجاع الرحمان نے اس معاملے کا نوٹس لیتے ہوئے نویں جماعت کے پرچوں میں حکمران جماعت پیپلز پارٹی کے رہنماوں کے نام شامل کرنے کی تحقیقات کرنے کا حکم دیا ہے۔
اس مقصد کے لیے ڈیرہ غازی خان تعلیمی بورڈ کے سربراہ کو چھان بین کی ذمے داری سونپی گئی ہے۔
مجتبیٰ شجاع الرحمان نے میڈیا سے بات کرتے ہوئے کہا ہے کہ سوالات کے ممکنہ جوابات میں سیاسی شخصیات کے نام کسی صورت نہیں ہونے چاہیے۔
انہوں نے کہا کہ تحقیقاتی رپورٹ آنے کے بعد ذمے دار افراد کے خلاف محکمانہ کارروائی کی جائے گی۔
حکمران جماعت پیپلز پارٹی نے پرچوں میں ممکنہ جوابات میں صدر مملکت اور وزیراعظم کے نام شامل کرنے پر شدید ردعمل کا اظہار کیا ہے۔
وفاقی وزیر اطلات فردوس عاشق اعوان نے پرچوں میں سیاسی شخصیات کے نام شامل کرنے کا ذمہ دار وزیر اعلیٰ پنجاب شہباز شریف کو قرار دیا ہے۔
انہوں نے وزیر اعلیٰ پنجاب پر نقطہ چینی کی اور کہا کہ وہ بچوں کو جس راستے پر لے کر جانا چاہتے ہیں وہ تعلیم کا راستہ نہیں ہے۔
فردوس عاشق اعوان نے الزام لگایا کہ شہباز شریف چاہتے ہیں کہ ایک ایسی ذہنیت تیار کی جائے جو کہ ریاست کے خلاف سینہ تان کر کھڑی ہو جائے۔
دریں اثنا پرچے میں صدر اور وزیراعظم کا نام ممکنہ جواب میں شامل کرنے پر طالب علموں کے والدین نے ردعمل میں کہا ہے کہ چھوٹی عمر کے بچوں کا نہ تو کسی سیاسی

A dozen killed as violence flares in Karachi

• 
• Reports have been received of 38 vehicles being torched all over the city, including a police mobile stationed at the hospital where the deceased and injured were brought in

The unrest was sparked by the murder of a party worker and his brother late on Monday, reviving fears that the city of 18 million could return to horrifying levels of violence that left more than 1,700 people dead last year.
Violence is a major concern in Karachi, the economic powerhouse of Pakistan whose Arabian port is used by the United States to ship supplies to the war in Afghanistan, although Pakistan has blockaded the border for four months.
Mansoor Mukhtar, 37, a member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the largest political party in the city, was shot dead late Monday when gunmen burst into the home where he was sleeping, police said.
His brother, Masood Mukhtar, also died and his sister-in-law was wounded in the attack in the central neighbourhood of PIB Colony, police said.
Soon afterwards, armed men took to the streets and started setting fire to vehicles, in violence that left a further six people dead and more injured.
“Our hospitals have received a total of eight bodies of victims from today’s firing incidents. They include an MQM member and his brother,” said police surgeon Hamid Parhiar in the southern province Sindh, of which Karachi is the capital.
At least 38 vehicles, including buses, mini buses and trucks were torched in Karachi, senior official Roshan Sheikh said.
The MQM, which represents the Urdu-speaking majority and sits in President Asif Ali Zardari’s governing coalition, denied any responsibility.
“We have been keeping Karachi peaceful for a long time and such incidents have been perpetrated by those who don’t want to see our country stable and peaceful,” party spokesman Wasay Jaleel told AFP.
The funeral of Mukhtar brothers was held at Jinnah Ground Azizabad.
Deputy Convener of MQM Rabita Committee Dr Nusrat Shoukat, members of the Rabita Committee, elected representatives, office-bearers and workers of various wings of the MQM and the bereaved family members of the deceased attended the funeral.
The mortal remains of Mansoor Mukhtar and Masood Mukhtar were brought to Jinnah Ground in an ambulance. The funeral prayer was offered by Maulana Feroze Rehmani, a member of the MQM Ulema Committee.
During the day markets, educational institutes and fueling stations remained closed in the city, while public transport remained off road.
Attendance of paramedical staff and doctors remained very low at all government hospitals including Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre and Civil Hospital Karachi due to which many scheduled operations were postponed.
Heavy contingents of police and rangers were seen in different areas of the city; however, till filing this report no arrest of miscreants was reported.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan said 1,715 people were killed in sudden flare-ups of violence in the city last year.
Officials documented more than 100 deaths in one week alone in October in what was Karachi’s worst ethnic and political unrest in 16 years.
The violence has been linked to ethnic tensions between the Mohajirs, represented by the MQM, and Pashtun migrants from Pakistan’s northwest affiliated to the Awami National Party (ANP).

Obama to seek easing of strains with Gilani

Pakistan Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and US President Barack Obama.

SEOUL: The White House made clear on Monday that President Barack Obama would seek to put strained relations with Pakistan on a more even footing when he meets Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani at the end of a nuclear security summit in Seoul.
The meeting on Tuesday will be the highest-level contact between the uneasy allies since US commandos killed al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in a Pakistani military town in May last year, a raid Pakistan called a violation of its sovereignty.
Ties plunged to a new low in November when aircraft from Nato’s Afghanistan force mistakenly attacked two Pakistani border posts and killed 24 Pakistani soldiers.
“There obviously has been a fairly turbulent period in US-Pakistan relations over the course of the last several months,” US deputy national security adviser Ben Rhodes told reporters in Seoul on Monday.
“We’ll want to address the state of the relationship.”
He said Obama would assure Gilani of “our continued interest in counter-terrorism cooperation” with Pakistan and stress shared interests in stabilising neighboring Afghanistan.
The Pakistani leader would bring up a parliamentary review that has been drawing up recommendations on how to proceed on ties with Washington, Rhodes said.
Pakistan’s cooperation is considered critical to US efforts to stabilise Afghanistan before most foreign combat troops leave at the end of 2014. Pakistan has strong traditional links with the Afghan Taliban and other militant groups.
Adding to tension, however, a US military official said on Saturday there were no plans to discipline any American forces over the deadly cross-border strike on Nov 26 that plunged relations into crisis.
A US military investigation last year had already exonerated American troops operating in Afghanistan from inappropriate use of force against the Pakistani forces – even as the US military acknowledged some of the blame in the incident.
In response to the incident, Pakistan shut off ground supply lines to the US-led Nato mission in land-locked Afghanistan – an issue Obama will likely address in Tuesday’s talks.
BIN LADEN RAID
Some US lawmakers were deeply skeptical when Pakistan denied any knowledge that bin Laden had been hiding out near Islamabad before US special forces tracked him down and killed him. Washington has provided about $20 billion in aid to Pakistan over the past decade.
Despite that, Rhodes said: “When we step back, we’ve continued to make significant progress against our core interest with regard to Pakistan, which is putting al Qaeda on a path to defeat. And that remains our focus.”
He said Obama would also discuss with Gilani plans for a transition to an Afghan security lead in Afghanistan and US support to an Afghan-led reconciliation process.
Rhodes was quick to dismiss Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s warning on Monday of growing instability in the West’s relations with Pakistan.
“I’m not sure that he has any particular insight into Nato’s relationship with Pakistan,” he said.
“I think Nato has had a relationship since the beginning of the Afghan war, because we have a shared interest with Pakistan and there not being violent extremist groups within their border and instability in Afghanistan,” Rhodes said.
It was unclear, however, whether Obama and Gilani’s agenda would include US concern about security of Pakistan’s nuclear materials, which are considered an area of high risk because of internal security threats from militants.