PM statement: Army Chief Kayani in crunch meeting
RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is currently presiding over a meeting of Principal Staff Officers.
According to sources, the meeting in progress at the GHQ is discussing the situation in the wake of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s interview to a China newspaper.
The consultation meeting is also giving thought to the overall national situation. Several significant Corps Commanders including the Rawalpindi and Mangla are also in the meeting.
It should be mentioned here the PM Gilani yesterday said the Army Chief Kayani issued his reaction through the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) after seeking his (Gilani’s) permission.
The Prime Minister said his interview was fixed by his military secretary and that Army Chief Kayani had landed back in Pakistan at the time of his interview to China’s daily newspaper.
It is pertinent to note here that the GHQ has been holding consultations since past two days over Memogate scandal and concerning issues.
RAWALPINDI: Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani is currently presiding over a meeting of Principal Staff Officers.
According to sources, the meeting in progress at the GHQ is discussing the situation in the wake of Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s interview to a China newspaper.
The consultation meeting is also giving thought to the overall national situation. Several significant Corps Commanders including the Rawalpindi and Mangla are also in the meeting.
It should be mentioned here the PM Gilani yesterday said the Army Chief Kayani issued his reaction through the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) after seeking his (Gilani’s) permission.
The Prime Minister said his interview was fixed by his military secretary and that Army Chief Kayani had landed back in Pakistan at the time of his interview to China’s daily newspaper.
It is pertinent to note here that the GHQ has been holding consultations since past two days over Memogate scandal and concerning issues.
Aman Committee rally causes severe traffic jam in Karachi
KARACHI: Severe traffic jam witnessed during Aman Committee’s rally here on Friday.
The rally was held against elected members and for the end of unemployment and provision of employments to the poor people of the country.
Police used tear gas and shelling to disperse angry protesters and disallowed them to enter into the War Zone.
Large amount of women and children is also present in the rally.
Long rows of vehicles are seen at the I.I.Chundrigar Road and its surroundings.
PPP agrees to hold elections before time
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has agreed to hold general and senate elections before scheduled time.
Before the elections, for a care taker set up, the government will talk to all parties to have their opinion.
Some important decisions were made in a core committee meeting chaired by President Asif Zardari and Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani.
Sources said the senate elections would be held in the mid of February instead of March and the general polls would be held in October after the budget.
The committee said that the PPP government will present budget and it is the right of the party. The budget will be people friendly, it said.
Before the committee meeting, both the president and the PM had one to one meeting in which they talked on various national issues.
While speaking to News, PPP leader Khursheed Shah also confirmed this, saying the elections will be held earlier than its time.
| ZAB Reference: CJ takes note of B. Awan media talk |
ISLAMABAD: Supreme Court (SC) is currently hearing a reference filed by President Asif Ali Zardari under Article 186 (advisory jurisdiction of Supreme Court) of the Constitution seeking revisiting of the death sentence awarded to former prime minister and PPP founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto in 1979.
Heading the 11-member SC bench, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammed Chaudhry taking strict notice of media talk of former Federal Law Minister Babar Awan yesterday, stressed on the respect for the judiciary.
“How can things move forward without respect for the judiciary,’ he noted.
Babar Awan said, ‘My conversation has two parts; but, you picked up only the piece of poetry as the subject.’
On this occasion, the bench ordered the court crew to put in place the projector and screen to present to the court the portions of Awan’s talk.
It should be mentioned here that Babar Awan, talking to media persons yesterday after the hearing of the Bhutto reference case, said it was not the first instance that he was meted out such treatment by the courts.
Awan said when he was fighting the case of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, he was presented in the court of Gujranwala Judge Saifullah Buttar as a terrorist to damage BB’s case.
Furthermore, he noted when he became the lawyer of Asif Ali Zardari, two cases of robbery and kidnapping were registered against him to damage the case.
“Now that I am the lawyer in the Bhutto reference, I want to tell the whole nation that I will continue my fight to get justice for the Quaid-e-Awam,” he added.
Gas crisis: Punjab textile laborers protest in Lahore
Staff Report
LAHORE: The energy crisis is aggravating every passing day in the country, as owners of the textile mills and laborers took to streets against the suspension of gas supply to the industries in Punjab for indefinite period.
All Pakistan Textile Mills Association (APTMA) demanded the immediate restoration of gas supply to the industries.
Owners of the textile mills and laborers hailing from various districts of Punjab protested in the city suburban area of Manga against the unjustified gas supply closure.
The demonstrators said the millions of people have been divested of means to earn their livelihood by depriving Punjab industries of gas and electricity.
The protesters further demanded the government that the discrimination towards Punjab should be abolished and gas supply be restored to the textiles forthwith.
