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WEEKLY
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Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Demand for resignations unjustified, says Kaira
By Mumtaz Alvi
ISLAMABAD: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Qamar Zaman Kaira on Monday said the NRO beneficiary ministers will not resign, as they were accused and not convicted, terming the demand unjustified.
Talking to media persons here at the CDA Academy, the minister made it clear that the cabinet members, who had benefited from the NRO were accused and not convicted to be asked to step down as ministers.
Referring to some media reports, Kaira clarified that the list released to the media about the NRO beneficiaries was prepared by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) and not by the Ministry of Law and Justice.
“Being an accused and a convict are two different things altogether. You can’t mix them up. An accused remains an accused and hence innocent until a court convicts him,” he maintained while replying to a question.
The minister also contended that those who had been given relief under the banner of the NRO were accused, hence no convict had been given benefit under this arrangement. He noted that the list released by Minister for Law and Justice Afzal Sindhu was of the accused and not of the convicted persons.
Answering another question about differences between President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on the NRO, he said that there was no truth in such media reports.
“I totally reject these reports which talk of differences between the president and the prime minister,” he said. He said the NRO was a legacy of the past government and had not been promulgated by the incumbent set-up. He added that the NRO was promulgated at a time when Pakistan faced deep crisis. The NRO ultimately led to the return of genuine political leadership.
Asked was there any programme to also issue the list of those whose loans had been written off by ex-president Pervez Musharraf’s regime, Karia said there was no secret about the matter, as a list of these persons could be seen at the National Assembly’s Library.
When a journalist sought his comments on the deal PML-N Quaid Mian Nawaz Sharif signed in 2000 to leave Pakistan, the minister said in his opinion that was a correct decision by the PML-N leadership under peculiar circumstances.
“I think, under the prevailing circumstances at that time, it was a good decision to save lives, as in the past, an elected prime minister was hanged by a military dictator,” the minister said referring to the late prime minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, who was sent to the gallows during late president Ziaul Haq’s rule.
About Prime Minister Gilani’s offer to quit, he said that Prime Minister Gilani had in fact stated that he would resign as prime minister if it were proved that they had concealed anything from the nation. Answering another question, the minister said the judiciary was free and if and when it summoned the government functionaries, they would appear before it and defend themselves.
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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 
