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| Malik threatens Sharifs with sedition |
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Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Speaks of Lahore-like terrorist attack during long march
By Mobarik A Virk
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Interior Rehman Malik, while putting up a brave face in the face of the upcoming long march by the lawyers to Islamabad, said the government would facilitate the long marchers like it did the last time. However, he warned that the long marchers would definitely not be allowed to get close to the Constitution Avenue, the area that the organisers of the long march have set as their goal to reach.
Talking to the media at a press conference, the adviser also warned the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif to refrain from raising rebellious slogans or incite public feelings, for which the government has enough evidence that a case under clause 124-A of the Constitution could be initiated against him on the charges of sedition, that could land him in jail for life.
About the upcoming long march, Rehman Malik said the government has no objection to a peaceful demonstration within the parameters of law. “They are most welcome to do whatever they may like to but we would not allow them to disrupt normal life of the people of Islamabad. Constitution Avenue is the security zone where hundreds of diplomats are living, the entire governmental system is running from there. Besides, we have received written request from the traders, from the civil society, from the residents of Islamabad to keep away all the processions from the main area of Islamabad and that is what the government intends to do,” he said.
To a question, he said that the government has already proposed two sites inside Islamabad, one located in sector G-11 and the other one is the old Exhibition Site behind Shakarparian, where these long marchers can come and stage a sit-in and speak.
“Chief Commissioner Kamran Lashari, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Qalb-e-Abbas and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Farooq from Rawalpindi are already in touch with them. Right now negotiations are going on. We hope they may agree to our proposal. We are not opposed to them coming to Islamabad but they should choose a specific place so that the citizens of Islamabad should not face problems,” he said, adding: “In the past in the backdrop of the post-Lal Masjid operation period there were a lot of peaceful processions but we lost a number of our policemen in Islamabad. We have information that such threats are still there, not the long march specific but overall. We inherited a worsening law and order. So, the enemy who attacked the Sri Lankan team in Lahore can do such thing in the long march or some procession as well. In such a situation it is our duty to resolve the issues jointly and peacefully.” He said the Sharif brothers have openly said that they are raising the flag of rebellion.
While quoting what is written under the Pakistan Penal Code, Section 124-A, which is sedition, the adviser said that Mian Nawaz Sharif has more than once and at many different places has openly said that he does not accept the decision against him and his brother and declared the court as a ‘fake court’.
Rehman Malik further quoted Mian Nawaz Sharif as saying in all his public rallies: “I have asked Shahbaz Sharif to go to Assembly and establish your government again. He is Constitutional Chief Minister of Punjab. I have ordered the police not to obey their government orders and wage jehad against them.”
However, answering questions, he said that the government has no intention of filing any case against the Sharif brothers under Section 124-A. ìI just explained to you what is there in the Constitution in this regard. We have no such intention. Neither there is any plan to detain them ahead of the long march. We are not afraid of anything as we have been saying all along that let them demonstrate. We will deal it politically,î Rehman Malik said. He, however, advised the Sharif brothers to refrain from using abusive language against the president and the judiciary. “We are not reacting to all this instigations. However, he should know that there is always a limit to things and he should not cross the limits,” the adviser said.
To a question, he said that both Mian Nawaz Sharif and Mian Shahbaz Sharif “begged pardon from Pervez Musharraf in writing.” “Yes, it is there, in full detail. In writing, as well as signed. They definitely have begged pardon (from Musharraf) but we would not like to go into the details. The fact remains that whenever they were asked if they ever entered into any agreement, they denied but today I say yes, they did. If you wish to see that, then give me two, three days and fix a time. I will present that to you as well.”
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CJ says good governance being compromised
By Sohail Khan
ISLAMABAD: Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that good governance is being compromised as it is believed that the administration of justice is the sole duty of courts or the legal fratern more |
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Hakimullah dies of wounds in Multan?
By Mushtaq Yusufzai
PESHAWAR: Reports about the death of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Hakimullah Mehsud once again started circulating on Tuesday and this time it was being reported that the militant commander had succumb more |
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MNAs seek solution to Sindh-Punjab water rift
ISLAMABAD: Members of the National Assembly on Tuesday urged for the resolution of the water crisis between Punjab and Sindh, failing which would lead to serious repercussions for the country.
Yousuf Tal more |
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Good governance hinges on change in national behaviour: PM
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that change in the collective behaviour of the nation is necessary for the promotion of good governance. He said that his government believed in streng more |
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NIC made mandatory to get sugar from USC outlets
ISLAMABAD: The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the cabinet on Tuesday made it mandatory to produce national identity cards to get a pack of 2kg sugar from the USC outlets.
The ECC met here unde more |
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Three provinces to hold LG polls in four months
By Hanif Khalid & Asim Yasin
ISLAMABAD: A high level meeting here on Tuesday at the Aiwan-e-Sadr decided that the chief ministers of Sindh, NWFP and Balochistan would hold local government elections in four months.
President Asif Al more |
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Senators condemn attack on Sh Rashid
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: Senators on Tuesday strongly condemned the murder attempt on Awami Muslim League (AML) chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed. Meanwhile, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members advised Sheikh Rashid to stop more |
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PIA obliges religiously; latest being religious minister
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), facing a mind-boggling loss of about Rs70billion, has quietly upgraded two seats of Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi and his wife fr more |
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A brigadier without brigade has a history of thrashing
By Umar Cheema
ISLAMABAD: The basher-brigadier of the National University of Modern Languages (NUML), who assaulted his professor colleague late Thursday, has a long list of such incidents on his credit as his resume is sprin more |
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PAC settles drought money misuse
By Rauf Klasra
ISLAMABAD: A special committee of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) probing misuse of drought funds worth million of rupees on Tuesday conveniently settled majority of charges against deputy auditor general o more |
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NA-55 by-polls
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain has urged all the political parties, including the PML-N, to withdraw from the NA-55 by-polls in favour of Sheikh Rashid.
“ more |
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Point scoring be avoided in Rashid attack case: Shahbaz
By our correspondent
LAHORE: Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif said the Rawalpindi incident on Monday had grieved every Pakistani.
He said a joint investigation team comprising federal and provincial agencies including I more |
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SC moved against delay in judges’ appointment
By our correspondent
ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court was moved on Tuesday against the government’s delay in the appointment of judges in the apex court and was prayed for directing the government to perform its constitutional duty by more |
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‘74 killed in Bajaur operation’
By Hasbanullah Khan
KHAR: Security forces claimed to have killed 74 militants and injured 54 others and wrested the strategically important hilltops and areas from the insurgents during the weeklong military operation in the Mamon more |
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Afghan unrest kills US, French soldiers
KABUL: A US and French soldiers were killed in attacks in southern and eastern Afghanistan on Tuesday, the alliance said.
The US service member was killed in an improvised bomb blast in southern Afghanis more |
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Army called in for today’s Lakki by-election
By our correspondent
PESHAWAR: The government has requisitioned the services of the Pakistan Army to augment the police and civil security forces for conducting the NWFP Assembly by-election on PF-75 Lakki Marwat for which polling more |
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Meeting discusses political issues
ISLAMABAD: A meeting held here at the presidency on Tuesday and presided over jointly by President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani discussed political and development issues in the N more |
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Rashid accuses PML-N of promoting criminal culture
ISLAMABAD: Head of Awami Muslim League, Sheikh Rashid, on Tuesday criticised the PML-N-led Punjab government for promoting criminal culture in Rawalpindi and the province.
Talking to a private TV channel more |
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Briefs...
Over 64 dead in Afghan avalanches
KABUL: At least 24 bodies have been recovered and 40 other people are feared dead after avalanches swept vehicles into a ravine and trapped cars in a mountain pass overn more |
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ISSN 1563-9479 
