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Weham 4 Feb 2012

2012-02-25T01:08:00.001-08:00

Weham 27 Jan 2012

2012-02-25T01:05:00.000-08:00

Weham 21 Jan 2012

2012-02-25T01:02:00.002-08:00

Weham 14 Jan 2012

2012-02-25T00:58:00.002-08:00

Weham 24 December 2011

2012-02-25T00:56:00.001-08:00

Weham 17 December 2011

2012-02-25T00:50:00.000-08:00

Weham 3rd December 2011

2012-02-24T23:30:00.001-08:00

Weham by AAJ NEWS 26 november 2011

2012-02-24T23:29:00.000-08:00

Weham 19 November 2011

2012-02-24T23:27:00.001-08:00

Afghan peace to minimise spill over of instability: Khar

2012-02-23T02:01:00.000-08:00

LONDON - Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar has said that Pakistan wants peace and stability in Afghanistan and is making efforts to minimise the spill over of instability in that country.
The Foreign Minister was talking to Baroness Syeda Warsi and selected members of the Conservative Party here at the Parliament House.
In the context of conflict resolution, the Minister emphasised that, the international principles as prescribed in the UN Charter should be respected at all times while dealing with crisis. She also stressed upon positive messaging to create better understanding among coalition partners and stakeholders of any problem to ensure peace and stability.
On Pakistan-UK bilateral relations, she said that the relationship was consistent and based on mutual respect. “There are institutional linkages between the two countries which have greatly facilitated in understanding each others’ point of view on various matters”.
She specifically quoted the statement given by the British Prime Minister during his visit to Pakistan which gave a great boost to the bilateral ties. Prime Minister Cameroon had described the Pakistan-UK relations as an unbreakable friendship.
The Minister described her visit to UK and interaction with the British Officials as very constructive and fruitful. She mentioned that talks on trade and investment prospects were quite encouraging.
The Minister also briefed the delegation about the internal political and socio-economic conditions in Pakistan. The positive aspect of the developments in Pakistan, she said, was that Democracy has taken roots. She however mentioned that Pakistan presently is confronted with two main challenges and these are energy crisis and the image abroad. These challenges were also impacting the Pakistani Diaspora in different parts of the world.
Baroness Warsi and the delegation thanked the Minister for explaining the perspective of Pakistan on various national, regional and international issues. They proposed that the positives about Pakistan should be highlighted like the contribution of Pakistanis in various fields in different part of the world. They also asked for promotion of Pakistani culture and handicrafts.
The meeting was attended by the High Commissioner of Pakistan in UK Mr Wajid Shamsul Hassan and senior officials of the government of Pakistan.

Nawaz attaches strings to APC participation

2012-02-23T02:00:00.000-08:00

LAHORE - PML-N President Nawaz Sharif has agreed to attend the planned All-Parties Conference (APC) on Balochistan, provided the government arrest Nawab Akbar Bugti’s killers and recover all missing persons.
According to a declaration issued by the PML-N on Tuesday, the party was ready to attend the APC proposed by the government to devise a strategy to address all conflicting issues in Balochistan.
However, participation was linked to the arrest of murderers of Akbar Bugti and the recovery of missing persons, the declaration said.
Nawaz stressed upon the government to live up to the PML-N’s demands if it wanted to hold the APC and make it a success.
Meanwhile, PML-N senior leader Khawaja Saad Rafiq called the planned APC ineffective, as Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani had earlier announced the Balochistan rights package, but did not implement it.
Talking to reporters at SNGPL office, he said Balochistan was up in flames. “Baloch MPAs receive funds but most of them are siphoned off,” he alleged. He also accused PTI Chairman Imran Khan of misleading the people on the 20th Amendment, saying Khan did not even know the basics of politics. However, party insiders said the PML-N’s conditions were almost a refusal to participate in the APC. Prominent Baloch leaders, including Shahzain and Brahamdagh Bugti, have already refused to participate in the APC.
Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Tuesday constituted a committee that was tasked with contacting the political leadership of the country, inside and outside parliament, and convince them to agree upon a mutually convenient date for holding the APC.
Last Wednesday, Gilani had announced that the government would soon convene an All-Parties Conference (APC) to discuss and address issues of Balochistan, particularly the law and order situation in the province.
“There is a law and order situation in Balochistan, which has to be addressed. We are also talking with the coalition partners in this respect,” Gilani had said in an interaction with senior newspaper editors at the Prime Minister’s House.
He said the government’s initiative of “Aghaz-e-Haqooq-Balochistan” aimed at removing a sense of deprivation among people of the province, adding, however, the worsening law and order in Balochistan had overshadowed the initiative.

UBL announces Rs6 per share dividend

2012-02-23T01:59:00.000-08:00

KARACHI - United Bank Limited (UBL) achieved a profit after tax of Rs15.5 billion for 2011, which is 39 per cent higher than last year, the bank said Wednesday. This translates into earnings per share of Rs12.66 (2010: Rs9.12). Board of directors also approved a final cash dividend of 60 per cent, which means Rs6.00 per share, bringing the total cash dividend for the year 2011 to 75 per cent or Rs7.5 per share. Despite testing times, UBL has achieved a profit before tax of Rs24.2 billion. This is 37 per cent higher than last year as a result of continued improvement in operating efficiency and margins. Provisions for the year declined for a second consecutive year as a result of the bank’s prudent approach towards extending financing given the difficult credit environment whilst NPL formation has also reduced year-on-year. Net interest income before provisions increased to Rs39.4 billion, 15 per cent higher than last year. Despite a 200bps reduction in the discount rate in the latter half of the year, the average yield on earning assets improved by 55bps whilst the cost of funds growth was contained at 35bps, as a result net interest margin increased to 7.0 per cent in 2010 to 7.2 per cent in 2011. Total provisions declined by 7 per cent to Rs7.5 billion for 2011, with nearly 75 per cent being due to aging of existing non-performing accounts. Consequently, coverage improved from 72 per cent to 80 per cent by December 2011. As a result, net credit loss ratio improved from 2.3 per cent in 2010 to 2.1 per cent in 2011. Net interest income after provisions is therefore, up 22 per cent to Rs32.1 billion. Fees and commissions generated from core banking businesses increased by 10 per cent to Rs6.9 billion mainly attributable to increase in remittances, FI commissions and cross-sell of bank assurance. Exchange income increased by 26 per cent to Rs2.1 billion as a result of higher transaction volumes and better leveraging of market opportunities.

Half yearly financial results of Indus Motor Company

2012-02-23T01:54:00.001-08:00

KARACHI - Board of directors of Indus Motor Company Limited met on February 22, 2012 to review the company’s financial and operating performance for the half year ended December 31, 2011. As per the statement issued, automotive industry had to face many challenges during the fiscal year 2012, which includes managing severe supply disruption due to Thai floods, together with steep rupee devaluation, increased cost pressures due to energy shortages and influx of used cars.
Commenting on the results, the spokesperson said during the half year, company’s sales grew by 6.3 per cent to 24,341 units compared to 22,903 units sold for the same period last year. Correspondingly, the production also increased by 3.5 per cent to 24,316 units as against 23,482 produced in the same period last year. The company’s combined sales revenue for CKD, CBU and parts business amounted to Rs33 billion and the profit after tax stood at Rs1.77 billion on account of increased sales volume and cost efficiency. Commenting on quarterly performance, spokesperson said, “Going forward the challenges for auto industry will be, rupee depreciation and resultant cost pressures, expiry of AIDP, correction in commodity prices which may impact rural buying, impact of ban on CNG cylinders and conversion kits imports and influx of imported used cars. The company will remain focused on improving its operational efficiencies to counter these challenges and deliver maximum value to its customers.”
The Board of directors also announced interim dividend of Rs8 per share for the half year ended December 2011.

Taliban urge attacks but stick to peace drive

2012-02-23T01:53:00.000-08:00

KABUL - The Taliban exhorted Afghans Thursday to attack and kill foreign troops to avenge the burning of Holy Quran at a US-run base, but stopped short of cutting off contacts with American officials in Qatar.
The militia urged Afghans to "not stop" at merely protesting, as fierce anti-American rallies erupted across the war-torn country for a third straight day after nine demonstrators were shot dead on Wednesday.
Afghanistan is a deeply religious country where acts against Islam have frequently provoked violent protests, and many Afghans are incensed at the discovery of charred Quran at the US-run Bagram airbase north of Kabul.
"You should bring the invading forces' military bases under your brave attack, their military convoys, kill them, capture them, beat them and teach them a lesson that they will never again dare to insult the Holy Quran," said a Taliban statement sent to media.
Yet the militia's main spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, told AFP late Wednesday that the Quran burning would not affect contacts with US officials in Qatar, designed to build confidence and pave the way for a prisoner exchange.
"We condemn the desecration of the Holy Quran in the strongest terms, but this issue will not affect this process in Qatar," he said.
The protests over the torching of Quran pushed into a third day, after the nine demonstrators were shot dead and dozens wounded in violent protests Wednesday.
Some 400 protesters marched in the southeastern Kabul suburb of Bagrami, carrying banners saying "Long live Islam, long live Quran" and chanting "Death to America".
The same chant was echoed by more than 600 people demonstrating in the Laghman provincial capital of Mihtarlam east of Kabul, while about 300 students took to the streets in the eastern city of Jalalabad, AFP journalists said.
Afghan President Hamid Karzai has called for calm as the Holy Quran incident is investigated by the US-led NATO force, and ordered his own security forces to avoid violence and protect people's lives and property.
The Afghan interior ministry blamed at least one of Wednesday's deaths on "foreign guards of Camp Phoenix", a US military base in Kabul attacked by protesters, but most were attributed by local officials to clashes with police.
US officials have apologised repeatedly for the burning of the HolyQuran, which were sent to an incinerator pit at Bagram.
NATO spokesman Brigadier General Carsten Jacobson said it was "probably an act of ignorance" but "a mistake with grave consequences".
US officials speaking on condition of anonymity told AFP the military removed Holy Qurans from a prison at Bagram because inmates were suspected of using the holy book to pass messages to each other.
A joint investigation team from the US-led International Security Assistance Force and the Afghan government has visited the prison to examine the circumstances surrounding the incident, ISAF said in a statement.
"This visit is an extremely important first step in resolving this issue, and I am grateful to President Karzai for his support in sending this group of representatives to assist us," the ISAF commander, US General John Allen, said.
"The only way we can demonstrate our sincerity to the people and government of Afghanistan is through our actions, and we are already taking measures to ensure this never happens again."
The backlash over the incident is likely to continue for several more days, said Martine van Bijlert of the Afghanistan Analysts' Network.
"The demonstrations are a combination of religious outrage, pent-up frustration and groups wanting to stir trouble," she wrote in an analysis.
"It is difficult to predict how bad things will get; this will depend largely on who manages to control -- or hijack -- the expressions of anger."

NADRA cancels 90,000 bogus CNICs

2012-02-23T01:50:00.000-08:00

Peshawar - After installation of Bio-Metric System, the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) cancelled around 90,000 computerised national identity cards (CNIC), which were double issued to one person. NADRA also terminated 183 employees, who were found involved in corruption. Sources told Online that special teams of NADRA, during an operation against dual CNICs, confiscated 38,000 cards through out the country while the remaining 52,000 CNICs were cancelled by red circling the record. Most of the duel cards were issued during the tenure of former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf.

War, neglect leave 500,000 Afghans homeless: Amnesty

2012-02-23T01:06:00.000-08:00

KABUL - Half a million Afghans displaced by war have been left homeless and struggling to survive because of government and international neglect, Amnesty International said Thursday.
Around 400 people join makeshift shelters around the country every day, Amnesty said in a report entitled "Fleeing war, finding misery", based on three years of research.
The Afghan government estimates that more than 40 people froze to death this winter, the harshest in 15 years, with at least 28 children dying in camps around Kabul.
The government is "not only looking the other way but even preventing help from reaching them" in an attempt to avoid making the settlements permanent, Amnesty researcher Horia Mosadiq said.
"Local officials restrict aid efforts because they want to pretend that these people are going to go away. This is a largely hidden but horrific humanitarian and human rights crisis," she said.
The report calls on the government to remove conditions placed on humanitarian aid and on international donors to "ensure that their humanitarian assistance addresses the needs of internally displaced people".
Kabul alone houses up to 35,000 displaced persons in 30 slum areas around the city, according to the report.
Slum residents told Amnesty that they had fled their homes to escape the escalating war which has seen the number of civilian deaths rise steadily to a record of more than 3,000 in 2011, according to UN figures.
Most of the casualties are caused by Taliban insurgents, but many displaced Afghans told Amnesty that they fled their homes in fear of NATO bombardment and to avoid being used as human shields by the militants.
NATO has some 130,000 troops in Afghanistan supporting the government of President Hamid Karzai against an insurgency led by remnants of the Islamist Taliban regime overthrown by a US-led invasion in 2001.
"Afghans have real grounds to feel less secure now than at any point in the last 10 years," said Mosadiq.
"International and Afghan forces should address the impact of conflict on civilians, including displacement. The Taliban must also look to protect civilians, by ensuring humanitarian access to the areas they control."
Food is scarce in the camps and children in slum communities have little access to education, according to the report.
"Since we came there is no assistance or anything; the family has not eaten anything for the past two days," a camp dweller named Zarin told Amnesty.
Most women give birth in difficult and unsanitary conditions without skilled attendants, increasing the risk of maternal and infant death in a country ranked among the world’s worst places for maternal health, the report said.
With housing scarce and expensive in the main cities, families who flee the war construct makeshift dwellings from mud, poles, plywood and plastic sheeting that give them little protection from the cold in winter and heat in summer.
"I don't know which problem I should talk about - school, unemployment, not having proper housing, food, health -- when my children are getting sick and I have to pay for the doctor -- it's everything," said Fatima, a woman in her 20s living in a Kabul camp.
The report calls on the government to protect displaced people against forced eviction, guarantee their children access to primary education and allow them to be issued with identity cards so they can exercise their legal rights.
The head of the UN refugee agency Antonio Guterres told AFP this month that UNHCR was overhauling its strategy in a bid to stop returning Afghans from becoming destitute, and to focus on sustainable reintegration.

US presses Pakistan to allow bases in Balochistan

2012-02-23T01:04:00.000-08:00

NEW DELHI - The United States is reportedly putting pressure on Pakistan to allow Washington to establish intelligence bases in Balochistan to gather intelligence on Iran, Indian media reported on Wednesday. According to a report published by The Times of India, the US Congress has been discussing a resolution to recognise the right of Baloch people to self-determination as a means of putting pressure on Islamabad to give in to the US demands. The move elicited angry reactions from Pakistan’s top leaders including Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani who described it as an attack on the country’s sovereignty. Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar also said though the resolution was an isolated move by a few individuals, it “is contrary to the principles of the UN Charter and international law”. The report said three officials, two from the security agencies and one from diplomatic circles, confirmed that American diplomats and military leaders had been requesting for permission to allow their agents to operate near the Iranian border in Balochistan.

Car bomb kills 12 in Peshawar: police

2012-02-23T01:02:00.001-08:00

PESHAWAR - A car bomb ripped through a bus station on Thursday, killing 12 people and wounding another 32 in Peshawar, a hospital doctor said.
The attack happened on the road towards the garrison city of Kohat.
"It was a car bomb blast. Twelve people have been killed and 32 injured, we are investigating whether a suicide bomber was involved or not," senior police official Kalam Khan told AFP.
Private TV channel Dunya broadcast footage of the site, where the wreckage of a car lay alongside other badly damaged vehicles, and ambulances and rescue workers raced to ferry the wounded to hospital.
Doctor Rahim Jan told AFP that at least 10 dead bodies had been brought into Peshawar's main Lady Reading hospital.
"We have imposed an emergency in the hospital," he told AFP.
"Several bodies are charred beyond recognition. Ten to 12 of the wounded are in a critical condition," he added.
There was no claim of responsibility and the precise target was unclear.
"At the moment I can't say what the exact target of the bomb attack was but all those killed were innocent civilians," Mohammad Siraj, the top government official in Peshawar, told reporters.
Tahir Ayub, a senior police official, told reporters that most of those killed were passengers waiting to board coaches.
"Two children were among the dead. According to a preliminary investigation, the bomb was planted in the car," he said.
Bomb disposal chief Shafqat Malik said 45 kilograms (100 pounds) of "good quality" explosives and mortar shells were packed into the car to maximise destruction when the timed device detonated.
More than 530 bomb attacks have killed around 4,900 people across Pakistan since Lal Masjid incident.
Last Friday, a suicide bomber killed 31 people in Parachinar in the tribal district of Kurram.

Pakistan asks CENTCOM chief to put off his visit

2012-02-23T01:01:00.002-08:00

ISLAMABAD - After Special US envoy Marc Grossman, General James N Mattis, the chief of US Army’s Central Command (CENTCOM), who was supposed to visit Pakistan a few days ago, has also advised by the Pakistani authorities to put off his trip until the completion of parliamentary review of Islamabad’s relations with Washington in the future.
General Mattis was expected to visit Islamabad in the middle of this month to meet army chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani and other senior military officials, but he was asked by Pakistani authorities to postpone his trip until the parliamentary review of Islamabad-Washington ties was over.
“The parliamentary review of relations between Pakistan and US will end with the joint session of both Houses of parliament, but it too is facing delay due to current political crisis in Islamabad, Senate polls and now the latest row between Islamabad and Washington over a resolution introduced in US Congress asking for a sovereign country for Baloch people,” said a Pakistani diplomat, seeking anonymity. “The session, which was expected to be held in the first week of February, will now be held in March, most likely in the middle of the month,” said the Pakistani diplomat.
“The delay in the parliamentary session means that the important trips of ambassador Grossman and General Mattis to Pakistan will be delayed further,” he said. He said the US was not happy over the delay in the completion of parliamentary review and that had been conveyed to Islamabad as well, but the government had no other choice but to wait for joint session of parliament.
However, he hastened to add that in order to take care of important issues of coordination and anti-terrorism cooperation between the Pakistani and US armies, the two sides could also agree on scheduling the General Mattis’ visit to Islamabad before the parliamentary session. The relations between Pakistan and US have been marred by tensions since the killing of al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden in a covert US raid on May 2 last year. These tensions exacerbated further after NATO airstrikes on two Pakistani border posts in November killed 24 soldiers.
Nonetheless, the resolution introduced last Friday by a member of US House of Representatives, Dana Rohrabacher (Republican from California), which said the people of Balochistan should have the right to self-determination and to their own sovereign country, led to furor in Pakistan and took the prevailing tensions to new heights. It is part of reconciliatory efforts that Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar will meet US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on the sidelines of a conference in London today (Thursday).

Two major oil discoveries to meet 25% of consumption

2012-02-23T01:01:00.000-08:00

ISLAMABAD - Two major oil discoveries on Wednesday gave a major boost to local production, which would now become twenty-five percent of the country’s total consumption.
The combine production of these two wells, one in Nashper dug by Oil and Gas Development Authority (OGDCL) and the other by Hungarian company MOL in Markori, is projected at 40,000 barrels a day by the end of the current year.
The total oil consumption in the country is 380,000 barrels a day, while the current local production is 67,000 barrels a day.
Petroleum Minister Dr Asim Hussain, who has been actively pushing for more oil discoveries, is expected to make a formal announcement in a couple of days.
In the gas sector, a source told Pakistan Today that the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project was finally set to take off today (Thursday) with the tenders being called.
After India pulled out from the project, Pakistan and Iran stuck to it and Iran has already laid down the pipeline on its side of the border. With both sides disregarding any outside pressure, Pakistan also moved forward practically by calling tenders.
It has been learnt that government had decided to generate the required funds from its own resources, as China was not interested in investing in the project.

The memo is from the president, claims Ijaz

2012-02-23T01:00:00.000-08:00

ISLAMABAD - This is coming from the president [Zardari] who wants to put together a new national security team, similar to the security organisation in the US,” the star witness in the memo scandal, Mansoor Ijaz, on Wednesday quoted the former ambassador to the US Husain Haqqani as having told him in May last year when he allegedly sought the help of the US national in drafting and delivering the memo to the top US administration.
Sticking to his earlier claim, Ijaz made the statement via a video link from London before the three-member commission investigating the ‘memogate’ that triggered a tense standoff between the civilian and military leadership.
Ijaz reiterated that he drafted and delivered the memo to the top US leadership, which sought US help against a possible military coup in Pakistan, on the instructions of former ambassador Husain Haqqani. Most of the claims he made on Wednesday regarding the memo were the same he has made over the past few months.
Recalling a sequence of the messaging with Haqqani, Ijaz said: “The sequence started on May 3, 2011, a day after the US raid in Abbottabad, at 16:58 European Day Light Time and 3-4 hours behind Pakistan time”.
“Then he (Haqqani) did not contact me until May 9 when he initiated the request. On May 9, 2011, at 12:31 European Day Light Time, I got first message from Haqqani when I was in Monaco and Haqqani was in London. The message was: Are you in London? I am here just for 36 hours. Can we meet for after dinner coffee”? The answer from my side was: “I’m in Monaco but it’s no problem for me to fly up. Takes 90 minutes. What time did you have in mind? Where do you want to meet?” Ijaz said Haqqani called him the same day and said the Pakistan Army was pressurising President Zardari and the government.
“It (Army) wants to bring the government down. The situation in Pakistan is serious”, Ijaz quoted Haqqani as having told him. Ijaz said Haqqani looked worried during the conversation. “Haqqani insisted that the message should be verbal and quietly and behind the backs of Pakistan Army and the ISI. Keep this away from Army and ISI, he (Haqqani) further asked me,” Ijaz claimed.
The essence of the message to be conveyed, Ijaz said, was “This is a 1971 moment”. However, Ijaz said, he did not understand what the reference was. “I inquired whom the message should be conveyed to. Haqqani said his preference would be Adm Mike Mullen who should convey the same to Kayani. I told Haqqani I don’t know Mullen and would check anyone who knows him. Upon hearing my response, Haqqani was confident that I would convey this message to Mullen,” Ijaz said while referring to the memo he drafted and delivered to the US administration allegedly on the advice of Haqqani.
Ijaz continued: “I asked him (Haqqani) on whose authority he was doing that. His response was there is a new thinking in Pakistan involving new people who want to change equation between US and Pakistan. A team of like-minded people like Lt Gen (r) Mahmood Ali Durrani and Gen (r) Jehangir Karamat (Both former ambassadors to the US) wants to reconstruct relations with the US. This (memo) is coming from the president who wants to put together a new national security team, similar to the security organisation in the US. Haqqani started giving point to me that he wanted me to convey to Mullen.“These include: Inquiry into the May 2 incident and members of the Abbottabad commission. US could have hand in choosing commissioners (Abbottabad Commission) to ensure the independence of the commission. Army wants to bring the government down. And if the US conveyed to General Kayani to stand down, government would further assist the US in locating the other bad boys (Mulla Omer and Aiman Al-Zawahri) and would allow US boots on Pakistani grounds.”
Ijaz said, “On the nuclear programme, Haqani assured that Pakistan would agree to add ‘discipline’ with respect to its nuclear programme and in this regard, he referred to negotiations that had already taken place between President Bush and President Musharraf. On Afghanistan: Haqqani said there was need to deal with the Taliban differently. He also assured to eliminate the “S” Wing of the ISI. He also promised that the Mumbai incident culprits would be brought to justice as the US had been asking Pakistan for some time.”
Ijaz said Haqqani was speaking so fast that he could not take hand notes. “I told him to hold so that I could type it on my computer,” Ijaz added. He said the US also wanted access to the three widows of Osama Bin Laden which were at that time in the custody of ISI or the Pakistan Army.
On a question why did Haqqani ask him to do the ‘job’ and did not go for another channel or he himself delivered the memo to Mike Mullen, Ijaz said, “I would be plausibly deniable channel. I could not exactly remember if it was my opinion or Haqqani said so,” he added.
In view of the sensitivity of the matter, Ijaz said Haqqani suggested that in the subsequent communication they both use reference names for the US and the government of Pakistan.
“USA would be denoted as Ispahani (name of Haqqani’s wife) and Pakistan government would be denoted as Friends. ‘Boss’ was to be used for the President Zardari,” Ijaz told the commission. He said the call made by Haqqani on May 9, 2011 can also be confirmed by his phone bill. The commission directed Ijaz to forward a copy of the bill to the secretary commission for onward transmission to the commission. However, Ijaz requested that only the relevant pages of the bill (3 out of 39 pages) be used to confirm his claim and rest of the contents and contacts numbers must not be made public in any manner.
Ijaz said soon after consultations with Haqqani on May 9, 2011, he called James Jones who had recently retired as National Security Adviser. However, he (Jones) was not available at home. In the meantime, Ijaz said, he called two London attorneys to discuss the matter with them if they would be willing to communicate the message of Haqqani (to Mullen).
“Same day at 2pm Monaco time, Jones called me. I told him all. He expressed skepticism as his previous encounters with Pakistan officials were not productive. Under no circumstances, he was willing to deliver a verbal message and without approval of the highest authority in Pakistan. Though I didn’t mention Haqqani’s name at the outset of my conversation with Jones but as soon as he heard the name of Haqqani, there was a snigger and he stressed that he would only deliver the written message backed by the highest authority,” Ijaz deposed. However, Ijaz said, Jones did not specify which highest authority he had in his mind. “I persuaded Jones to convey message that it was not for us to decided whether or not Haqqani’s message was relevant, whether or not Haqqani’s message was credible and whether the assumptions of Haqqani of stated coup were valid or not,” Ijaz further stated.
He said James Jones agreed (to deliver the memo to Mike Mullen) provided he received the message in writing and backed by the highest authority.
Earlier, Ijaz said his contacts with Pakistani officials were very limited for the last 10 years.
“There was one meeting in 2003 with General Ihsan, then ISI chief. One meeting with Musharraf in 2005 in London, which was a very brief meeting in which both sides exchanged pleasantries. The third meeting was with President Asif Ali Zardari in May 2009, but I don’t remember the exact date. The meeting with President Zardari lasted for approximately one hour in Washington DC,” he told the commission.
To a question posed by his attorney, Akram Shaikh during cross-examination, Ijaz said: “I met Zardari on the invitation of Haqqani who was then the ambassador to the US. The purpose of the meeting was to give President Zardari a briefing on important political matters before the US congress. I gave a briefing to Zardari.”
He further said he met General Shuja Pasha, the ISI DG in London for approximately four hours, starting from 6:30pm afternoon at Inter-continental Hotel on October 27, 2011 and the request in this regard was made by a senior ISI official.
“Gen Pasha asked me at the outset of the meeting if I had contact with Haqqani and the nature of our relationship. He also asked me to brief him about my background, personal and professional life and education and I briefed him. He also asked what led me to write opinion pieces and my political affiliation,” he added.
Earlier, when Ijaz referred to his blackberry messages to Haqqani, Zahid Bukhari, the counsel of Haqqani objected that he was not in a position to see what was on the screen of the handset of Ijaz and added the same was not admissible.
The secretary was asked to sit along with Ijaz to see the message himself. At a later stage, Bukhari raised another objection that “Ijaz was playing with his handset”. “What is going on,” he said.
Ijaz also delivered the PIN of his handset, 2100d04f. He also gave Haqqani’s PIN as 2326a31d. He also shared with the commission the email address of Haqqani that was haqqani@bu.edu. Referring to a number of messages that exchanged between him and Haqqani, Ijaz said it was not possible to delete or change the order of the messages. The commission would meet again and take up three applications submitted by Zahid Bukhari before recording the remaining part of the evidence of Ijaz.
Before Ijaz recorded his testimony under oath, the commission, through the secretary commission, ascertained the identity of the star witness as Musawar Mansoor Ijaz. Zahid Bukhari, the counsel of Husain Haqqani told the commission that he had to cross examine Mansoor Ijaz in-person but could not proceed to London due to a delay in getting visa
“I am not here to join the proceedings as cross-examination is not possible,” he added. The attorney general also endorsed the view point of Bukhari, saying there should be cross-examination. He also objected to Ijaz when he wanted to take help from the notes, saying he must make a statement from memory. However, Mansoor said, “It is not possible for me to exactly recall what happened during those three days in question.” Lawyer Naseer Bhutta said the commission was seized with the matter and required to probe into it as directed by the SC, adding that strict rules were not applicable in the particular case.
AG quoted the Qanoon-e-Shahadat law, according to which, there should be no exception. Akram Shaikh, the lawyer of Ijaz, said the commission was not a court, adding that the definition of court could not be extended to the commission as it was constituted only for investigation.
Chairman of the commission, Justice Faez Isa, observed that “in view of the objection of Bukhari and the AG, generality of the statement should be verbal… general procedure should be verbatim, however, to ensure accuracy, Mansoor Ijaz would be at liberty to refer to his Blackberry or other devices after seeking permission from the commission.” Bukhari also objected to the hand written note of Haqqani, calling it fabricated.

Veena Malik signs a film for Rs 1 lakh!

2012-02-22T02:00:00.000-08:00

She may be known for creating ripples with her publicity stunts but not many of us know the real story of Veena Malik.
Veena Malik, who has earned herself the title of being the latest 'drama queen' in town, is actually one of the lowest paid actresses in town.
Veena, who took to fame post her stint in the reality show Bigg Boss, is desperate to sustain the limelight. Since getting big projects is not an easy affair, it is learnt that the actress has lowered her price and is signing films for as low as Rs 1 Lakh.
Confirming this, our source says, "This might sound strange but the fact is that Veena Malik is one of the lowest paid actresses in town. Apart from her publicity stunts, the actress has no substantial work to talk about and now she has become the darling of every small time producer. It was surprising to know that the actress recently signed a film for just Rs 1 Lakh only."

MCB profits grow 15 per cent in 2011

2012-02-22T01:55:00.001-08:00

LAHORE - The Board of Directors of MCB Bank Ltd declared cash dividend of Rs3.0 (December 31, 2010: cash dividend Rs3.0 per share) and bonus issue of 10 per cent (December 31, 2010: 10 per cent) for the period ended December 31, 2011, in addition to interim cash dividends of Rs9.0 already paid.
The Board of Directors met under the Chairmanship of Mr Mian Mohammad Mansha, on February 21, 2012 to review the annual performance of the
Bank and approve the financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2011.
Earnings per share (EPS) as of December 31, 2011 came to Rs23.23 compared to Rs20.18 for last year. Return on assets improved to 3.18 per cent (2010: 3.13 per cent), whereas, return on
equity improved to 26.23 per cent (2010: 25.91 per cent).
Financial year 2011 proved to be a year of record performance for MCB Bank Limited as it reported 20 per cent and 15 per cent increase in profit before tax (PBT) and profit after tax (PAT) respectively, with its asset base registering an increase of 15 per cent over December 31, 2010. The Bank achieved the milestone of being the first bank in the Pakistan banking industry to post profit before tax in excess of Rs30 billion with PBT reported at Rs31.483 billion and PAT reported at Rs19.425 billion.
Net Interest Income of the Bank increased by 21 per cent over last year with non markup income increasing by 29 per cent to Rs8.112 billion. On the operating expenses side, gross administrative expenses (excluding the impact of pension fund reversal) increased with a controlled growth of 15 per cent over last year. Provisions for the period were reported at Rs3.654 billion with a nominal increase of two per cent over last year.
The asset base of the Bank grew to Rs653.233 billion from Rs567.553 billion as at year end 2010. The investment portfolio increased considerably by Rs103.6 billion over December 2010 with higher concentration in risk free government securities. Advances (gross) of the Bank were reported at Rs248.135 billion with a decrease of 9 per cent over 2010, mainly on account of conversion of commodity financing/circular debt exposure to risk free government securities. The deposit base of the Bank went up by 14 per cent, with 11 per cent and 16 per cent increase reported in current and saving deposits respectively, maintaining the CASA percentage at 81 per cent.

15 wedding participants hurt in Karachi road mishap

2012-02-22T01:54:00.000-08:00

KARACHI - At least 15 persons, including women and children, were injured in collision between two vehicles here on Tuesday night.
According to police, a bus carrying participants of wedding ceremony collided head-on with a troller coming from opposite direction at National Highway near Saeedabad area.
As a result of accident 15 persons, including women and children, were injured.
The police and rescue teams rushed to the scene and started rescue operation.
The injured were shifted to People's Medical University Hospital Nawabshah where according to hospital sources condition of two injured people was serious.

Karzai speaks to Taliban every day: report

2012-02-22T01:50:00.001-08:00

CANBERRA/KANDAHAR - Afghan President Hamid Karzai said his government talks to the Taliban every day through intermediaries, according to an interview by Australia’s SBS television for broadcast on Tuesday.
“We talk to the Taliban every day. We were talking to them just a few days ago somewhere around this region,” Karzai said in an interview taped a week ago in Kabul with SBS, adding his contact with the group’s one-eyed leader Mullah Omar was through indirect means.
“(But) not personally,” Karzai said when asked if he had spoken with Omar. “I mean not directly, person to person. But through intermediaries, yes.” Karzai and many Western analysts say the reclusive leader is based in Quetta.
Karzai also stressed that peace talks with the Taliban are key to regional stability and bringing peace as well to Pakistan.
“It’s no longer Afghanistan that’s the subject of conversation, or the issue. It’s Pakistan as well. It’s peace in Pakistan as well. It’s stability in Pakistan as well,” he said. The interview was recorded before Karzai’s visit to Islamabad last week, where he upset Pakistan by asking for access to Afghan Taliban leaders belonging to the so-called Quetta Shura.
Karzai said he was also keen to work together with Islamabad to help advance peace talks with the Taliban. “We as the Afghan people and government are willing to help Pakistan work for peace in Afghanistan and work for peace in Pakistan, together,” Karzai said, adding that Afghanistan was making progress on security in the eleventh year of a costly war, local and foreign support for which is souring.
He said the Taliban would not return to power in a total capacity. “I don’t think the Taliban will ever come back to take Afghanistan, no,” he said. “Two years ago I would have been uncertain and unwilling to give you an answer as firm as I do today. The Afghan people will not go back to the nothing of 10 years ago.”
Meanwhile, a group of Afghan officials from Kandahar has left Afghanistan for Quetta to meet Taliban commanders there and discuss peace efforts, the head of the provincial peace council said on Tuesday.
“We have been in contact with mid-level Taliban commanders in Quetta for some time. In the last 10 days, our peace council delegation have gone to Quetta three times in twos and threes,” Kandahar peace council head Ata Mohammad Ahmadi told Reuters.