Coalition partners of PPP squarely responsible for destroying the country: Nisar

Calling the coalition partners of the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) equally responsible for destroying the country, Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, said Saturday President Asif Ali Zardari was not alone in damaging the country but allies of the government were also squarely responsible. After briefly attending the presidential address here at the Parliament House, Chaudhry Nisar told journalists that Zardari lied before the Parliament and the nation. "The country was surrounded with problems but after listening to what the president said, I thought he was talking of any other Pakistan," he said. He said that the president bargained on every issue and his allies were now following his way. "I wonder which Pakistan Zardari was talking about," remarked Nisar expressing his 'utter surprise' over the president's fifth parliamentary address on Saturday. "Pakistan, that we live in, is in a state of misery," the opposition leader said, adding that he asked as to how the president could deliver such a confident speech after "what he has done" to the country. "I was astounded at Zardari's speech." For nine years, a dictator kept paralyzing the nation at gunpoint and then whatever was left was fulfilled by Zardari, he added. Nisar, in a questioning tone, further asked "Zardari said that government did a lot for Balochistan. What have they done?"

Govt to resolve Baloch leader’s grievances: Firdous Ashiq

Information Minister Firdous Ashiq Awan has said that the PPP’s government would resolve all grievances and concerns of Baloch leaders. During meeting with Balochistan’s Information Minister, Muhammad Younis Mullahzai in Islamabad, She said that the government devised a plan for the peace full solution of Balochistan issue. Firdous Ashiq Awan said that President and the Prime Mister are well informed regarding the suffering of the province and they are committed to address all the grievances of Baloch peoples. She applauded the efforts made by Balochistan’s Chief Minster, Nawab Aslam Raisin’s to high lighting core problems of the province, saying that federal government would continue its cooperation with provincial government in future.

Presidential immunity not above constitution: Hina Khar

Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar on Saturday said the statements that made Prime Minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani regarding the presidential immunity, were all within the domain of the constitution. She was talking to the media persons outside the Parliament and said that President Asif Ali Zardari’s address to the joint session of the parliament is a landmark fifth‚ and the first in country’s history for a civilian elected President. The Minister said, “We want to increase our relations with all nations across the globe”. The country has been facing several challenges at domestic and international level, which are being redressed, she added.

Zardari says democracy flourishing in Pakistan

Amid worst uproar, President Asif Ali Zardari Saturday said that the government has successfully met enormous challenges‚ established rule of law and assured supremacy of the Parliament.
Opposition members marred president’s record fifth address to joint session of the Parliament, raising slogans “Loot Maar band karo” (Stop looting) and ”“Aazadi, Aazadi” (Freedom from corruption) during his speech.
“Pleas sit down, please sit down, please maintain sanctity of the house”, Speaker Fehmida Mirza screamed in an unsuccessful bid to quite down the PML-N led opposition lawmakers.
However with clipping voice, the President continued his speech.
Asif Ali Zardari said that the democracy is flourishing in Pakistan, pledging that ‘free’ and ‘fair’ elections will be held in the country.
In a wide-ranging address to the Parliament‚ a landmark fifth‚ and the first in country's history for a civilian elected President Zardari said the government has moved with speed and determination to strengthen the Federation by redressing imbalance between powers of the Centre and the provinces.
He said we have pursued the politics of reconciliation and harmony. He said we have worked hard to generate consensus. The President said the coalition government was formed to deepen democracy and all worked together to restore the 1973 Constitution.
He said as President‚ I surrendered my powers. And today‚ the Prime Minister‚ the Chief Executive‚ enjoys full authority as required by law."
He described it as "a shining moment for our parliament" and added history will remember this achievement‚ just as the nation remembers Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and the architects of the 1973 Constitution.
Mentioning the measures taken to balance the powers of the Centre and the provinces‚ President Zardari said the government abolished the Concurrent List and transferred 18 ministries to the provinces and enhanced provincial autonomy.
He said the Council of Common Interests was made fully functional and added this great transformation was achieved with complete agreement of all the stakeholders.
This shows complete unity of our nation in adopting legislation to make our country strong and democracy more inclusive."
The President acknowledged that while a lot more needs to be done‚ a strong beginning has been made. "We Pakistanis can be proud of our young democracy‚" he said and pointed the world can today see that the march of democracy goes on and "together we are creating history." President Asif Ali Zardari also vowed general election to be held in a free and fair manner during the new parliamentary year.
The President mentioned the 20th Amendment which he said ensures the independence of Election Commission and the selection of an impartial care-taker government through a process of consultation in the Parliament.

‘Now stable Pakistan can reset ties with US,’ says Gen Dempsey

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK: The top US military officer has voiced confidence that the United States and Pakistan can reset their bilateral relationship in a mutually beneficial way, and observed that the country is now stable, after facing multiple challenges over last many years.
“I think the best thing we’ve done over the past several months — you know, the incident occurred on November 26 and here we sit on March the 16th.
I think the best thing we’ve done is we’ve not conducted our engagement with them with a microphone,” General Martin Dempsey, Chairman Joint Chiefs Staff said.
Dempsey’s comments in an appearance on popular Charlie Rose Show came as Parliament in Islamabad prepared to debate the best way forward in the country’s relations with the United States, which were severely strained following the November 26 Nato airstrikes on tribal border posts which killed at 24 Pakistani soldiers.
“We’ve communicated with them directly. We’ve communicated with them privately.
We’re back in close contact with them along the border. We have been in conversations about our military to military relationship, about our foreign military sales, about some of the common challenges of terrorism, and they have asked to be given time in their parliamentary process to have some internal discussions about what the new relationship might be, but I’m personally optimistic that we can reset the relationship in a way that meets both of our needs,” he said.
Asked if he believed that Pakistan is now stable, in the wake of years of grappling with the militancy challenges, the chairman Joint Chief Staff responded: “I do believe Pakistan is stable today.”
At the same time, he felt that “there are some trend lines that would be concerning for both them and us in terms of migration of various terrorist groups.”
Dempsey added the economic conditions in Pakistan also concern him in view of requirements for the large population of the country.
Discussing the Pakistani counterterrorism efforts along the Afghan border, the general said the Pakistanis will do the best they can to curb terrorist groups.
The Pakistanis may have the will to do something, but not the means. “I believe they will do the best they can, but it may not be enough for us,” he said, explaining difficulty of the challenge in enforcing security along the 2600-km long border.
All this makes it extraordinarily difficult for Pakistan to deliver. Dempsey said he is not a Pakistan apologist and added Pakistani army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and he were classmates in a US military in Leavenworth and have had candid and frank discussions on countering terrorist challenges their two countries face.
General Dempsey said he believes Gen Kayani, will do everything he can against these terror groups, operating along the border.

SC clarifies report on allegedly stolen immunity papers

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Saturday issued a clarification concerning a news item reported earlier in the week about missing documents on presidential immunity from the residence of one of its judicial officers.
A press statement issued by the Registrar office said that a news story gave the impression that the registrar had confirmed that some precious documents had been stolen from the house of the officer.
Yousuf Jan Marwat, the judicial officer from whose residence the said documents were allegedly stolen, was “not required to write any such thesis nor assigned any research work,” the statement said.
The statement added: “Yousaf Jan is a judicial assistant working in the records section in the Supreme Court of Pakistan in Islamabad. He has nothing to do with the research work in the Court. He has not been entrusted with any such work.”

Parliament’s joint session over US ties called on March 20

ISLAMABAD: A joint session of the Parliament for approving new rules of engagement with the US and on resumption of Nato supplies has been called on March 20, DawnNews reported on Saturday.
The government, on military leadership’s demand, has also formed a committee to bring the opposition on the same page over recommendations of the Parliamentary Committee on National Security (PCNS).
The eagerly awaited session of the parliament particularly by the coalition forces of Pakistan in the “war against terror” will linger over three days.
The PCNS’s recommendations, on reviewing ties with the US and the Nato in the aftermath of Nov 26 attack on Pakistani check posts in Salala, will be tabled in the session.
Earlier on Wednesday, a high level meeting of military and political leadership decided that the PCNS would be fully authorised to take a decision about restoration or otherwise of the supplies for Isaf forces in Afghanistan.
The committee would recommend to the government to secure ‘better’ terms for reopening the supply routes. It is expected that the government will restore the supplies, but after levying transportation charges on vehicles and goods.
The parliamentary committee is reported to have prepared a series of recommendations on Pakistan-US relations and related issues, including Nato supplies, memo scandal and the issue of Balochistan.