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Friday, November 28, 2008
Govt blocks NA panel’s probe
By Israr Khan
ISLAMABAD: The PPP government on Thursday aggressively blocked the parliamentary probe into the chief justice’s daughter case amid an uproar in the National Assembly committee meeting that witnessed a walkout by the government members, including the minister of state for education.
The chairman of the NA Standing Committee on Education, Abid Sher Ali, of the PML-N was not allowed to proceed as the state minister consistently pressed that the inclusion of the CJ’s daughter case in the meeting’s agenda was a violation of the rules. The State Minister, Ghulam Farid Kathia, also strongly objected to the presence of not only media persons covering the event but also that of Ansar Abbasi, Editor Investigations, The News, who was invited by the committee as a special guest to take part in the proceedings.
The whole proceedings, which included the suspension of the noisy sitting for 15 minutes and followed by walkout of the government members and even the Education Ministry mandarins, turned out to be a joke when the chairperson of the Federal Board for Intermediate and Secondary Education, Ms. Shaheen Khan, refused to brief the committee on the issue despite repeated requests by the committee chairman.
Every time she was given the floor, she said that she would not utter a word unless allowed by her secretary and the minister, who kept on pressing that the issue could not be included in the agenda of the meeting without his consultation. At her response to the committee, the chairman told her: “You are answerable to the committee and if you do not talk on the issue, then you may leave.”
The angry chairman even once announced to postpone the meeting against what he said the negative attitude of the government side but the members intervened and requested him to continue the meeting. He again asked the FBISE chairperson to tell the committee about the issue but time and again the minister interrupted him and did not let him proceed.
Chairman Abid conducted short census among the eight members of the committee out of whom four said the proceedings on this issue of public interest be maintained. The chairman, while using his discretionary power, resumed the proceedings.
State Minister for Education Ghulam Farid Kathia refused to brief the committee, saying it was not on the agenda of the committee’s meeting. However, he was of the view that the issue should be discussed in camera, not in the presence of newsmen. This irritated the chairman who observed that the issue was of immense public interest and must be discussed in the presence of the press.
The committee witnessed some rowdy scenes and exchange of harsh words between Abid Sher Ali and Ghulam Farid Kathia as well as the FBISE Chairperson Shaheen Khan, who also declined to speak without the minister’s permission.
“You are trying to sabotage this meeting by interrupting me again and again ... you may leave,” Ali repeatedly told the state minister for education who argued that the issue of CJ’s daughter could not be discussed, as it was not on the committee’s agenda.
The situation remained tense, as the government side insisted that the issue be taken up some other day. Kathia was of the view that the committee chairman had not consulted him on the issue and, therefore, he was going against the rules and regulations. However, Abid Sher Ali said he had written letters to all the concerned officials, including the FBISE chairperson, to appear before the committee with all the required record.
He said the issue was of serious nature in which the top government officials were involved in misuse of powers. “But nobody is ready on this issue,” Kathia argued followed by Abid Sher Ali’s remarks: “If you are not ready, then you can leave.” However, the minister refused to do so.
The chairman of the committee said: “You are trying to block the committee to proceed in the case of high public importance and defending the corrupt. You and the government are against the voiceless students who are tens of thousands in number.” Abid Sher Ali also said that the minister was defending those who indulged in abuse of power.
On the minister’s signal, four MNAs left the proceedings and staged a walkout. One of the National Assembly’s senior officials told the minister that under such rules, the committee could not discuss the issue.
Meanwhile, sources told The News that the meeting of the committee, scheduled to continue on Friday, was postponed by the speaker National Assembly. The sources said it was an attempt to strangulate the voice of truth.
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Destroy militant hideouts in Pakistan: Karzai
KABUL: Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday urged his Western allies to destroy Islamist militant sanctuaries in neighbouring Pakistan after thousands of secret US files were leaked.
“The time has come more |
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199 die in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa rains, floods
By Nisar Mahmood
PESHAWAR: The death toll from torrential rain and floods in various parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during the last two days reached 199 as dozens more casualties were reported on Thursday.
The heavy showers more |
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Severe rains threaten three provinces, warnings issued
By Ansar Abbasi
ISLAMABAD: The Federal Flood Commission and the Met office have warned the authorities that the next 24 hours are critical and if the ongoing spell of rains continues, innumerable villages in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa more |
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Possible factors that brought Airblue plane down
By Shakil Shaikh
ISLAMABAD: A probe into the horrifying crash of Airblue’s Airbus into the Margalla hills, which killed all 152 persons on board, has been started to find out all possible factors that contributed to the disastr more |
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Plane crash probe will be transparent: Malik
ISLAMABAD: Federal minister for Interior Rehman Malik on Thursday confirmed that 66 bodies had been handed over to their heirs after their identification through DNA.
Talking to media here he said the Bl more |
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Parliamentary body has primacy over judicial commission: CJ
Wonders if Murree, Changa Manga would also be staged in judges appointment; advises against humiliating judiciary; says PM made powerless in judges appointment
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Just more |
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HEC not satisfied with Sindh University verification process
By Usman Manzoor
ISLAMABAD: The Higher Education Commission has formally conveyed to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Education that it was not satisfied with the verification process adopted by the University of S more |
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Wants dictators punished
DHAKA: Bangladesh’s Supreme Court has reinstated a ban on Islamic political parties in the latest blow to religious hardliners in the impoverished South Asian country, a minister said Thursday.
In a deta more |
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ECP, HEC in row over focal person
By Saadia Khalid
ISLAMABAD: The appointment of a focal person in the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has raised yet another controversy as the HEC officials say they have not received any notification as yet while the ECP cla more |
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ECP finds itself in a limbo, no matter what the HEC does
By Tariq Butt
ISLAMABAD: The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) is unable to proceed against the fake degree holders unless it is duly constituted with the induction of four retired high court judges as its members.
Ch more |
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Indian PM says hopeful of restoring Pakistan talks
NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Thursday he was hopeful of restoring talks “sooner or later” to improve ties with Pakistan after their last meeting ended in acrimony over the 2008 Mumbai more |
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Crackdown forced Afghan militants to leave Pakistan: FM
By Tahir Hasan Khan
KARACHI: Rejecting the Afghan President Hamid Karzaiís comments, Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi has said that most of the Afghan war stalwarts had left Pakistan for other places due to crackdown more |
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Zardari fares poorly, Kayani more popular: poll
WASHINGTON: Only one in five Pakistanis view their president, Asif Ali Zardari, favourably while the country’s army chief gets a more positive rating, according to a new opinion poll released Thursday.
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Miliband, others blast Cameron for anti-Pakistan remarks
By Murtaza Ali Shah
LONDON: Former British Foreign Secretary Labour leadership hopeful David Miliband became the highest profile British politician to condemn Prime Minister David Cameron, accusing him of being a “loudmouth” over more |
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Pakistan terms British PM’s remarks shocking
By Mariana Baabar
ISLAMABAD: In a ‘muted’ reaction Pakistan Thursday said the remarks made by British Prime Minister David Cameron were ‘surprising’ and ‘saddening’.
Foreign Minister Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi said the more |
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Zardari, Gilani discuss air crash, other issues
By Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari directed the government to make the inquiry report of tragic incident of air crash at Margalla hills public so that the people know as to what really led to the tragic inci more |
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Pakistan urged to tackle terrorists
NEW DELHI: Manmohan Singh, the Indian prime minister, and British Prime Minister David Cameron have called on Pakistan to tackle terrorist groups operating from its territory.
“No one is in any doubt, le more |
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PML-Q senator seeks ruling against fake degree holders
By Muhammad Anis
ISLAMABAD: A PML-Q senator on Thursday sought a ruling from the Senate chairman against those holding bogus educational documents. Senator Jamal Leghari, raising a point of order, said a ruling should come from more |
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briefs...
Attique sworn in as AJK PM
By Syed Abid Hussain Shah
MIRPUR (AJK): All Jammu and Kashmir Muslim Conference chief Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan was Thursday sworn in as the Prime Minister of Azad Jamm more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
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