ISLAMABAD, July 25: The Chief Executive, Gen Pervez Musharraf, has accepted Muttahida Qaumi Movement's demand for setting up a committee to review MQM workers' cases languishing in jails without trial.
The demand for constituting a three-member committee, headed by a high court judge with representatives one each from MQM and Sindh police, was made by former Senator Aftab Shaikh who met the chief executive here on Tuesday.
However, the CE secretariat in a brief statement did not mention the formation of the committee.
"I have made the demand for setting up a committee to review all the issues concerning MQM, including the cases of thousands of party workers imprisoned for the last several years," Mr Shaikh later told reporters.
Mr Shaikh said the Inter-Services Intelligence Agency (ISI) chief, Lt-Gen Mehmood and chief of staff of the chief executive office Maj-Gen Ghulam Mohammad were also present at the meeting.
Sources said during the meeting a contact with MQM chief Altaf Hussain was also established but Mr Shaikh did not deny or confirm it. Reinvestigation of cases against Altaf Hussain was also included in the long list of demands presented to the chief executive, he added.
The Punjab PPP chief, Rao Sikandar Iqbal's meeting with the chief executive, too, continued for more than an hour.
The PPP spokesman, Farhatullah Baber, said Mr Iqbal had sought permission from party Chairperson Benazir Bhutto before accepting the CE's invitation.
during the meeting Mr Iqbal had reiterated party position with regard to the restoration of democracy, he said. The PPP provincial party chief, too, demanded reinvestigation of all the cases filed against Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari on the basis of 'purged evidences,' he added.
Ejazul Haq later at a press conference claimed that the chief executive during the course of discussion had hinted that he would consider PML's demand of restoration of assemblies and Senate.
Muttahida against Farooq Sattar's conviction
KARACHI: Expressing
concern over the conviction of Dr Farooq Sattar by a NAB
Court, in Attock, Grand Democratic Alliance (GDA) has
demanded that all cases be taken up for trail in open
court and in home province otherwise the process of
accountability would be considered as 'victimisation' of
politicians.
The GDA resolved this in
an emergency meeting, convened to express solidarity with
Muttahida Qaumi Movement against awarding 14-year
imprisonment, Rs 50 million fine and disqualification for
21 years, to Dr Farooq Sattar by a NAB court.
Briefing the newsmen,
Muttahida leader Nasreen Jalil said the GDA leaders
unanimously adopted this resolution in its meeting held
at Nine Zero on Tuesday with veteran politician Nawabzada
Nasrullah Khan in the chair. She said Alliance leaders
resolved that referring cases of politicians to courts
away from their home provinces was not a justice.
"GDA leaders were
of the view that accountability through controversial NAB
ordinance proved that the government had become a party
in the process," Nasreen said, demanding that
process of accountability should continue but through an
impartial, independent commission.
She said the Alliance
leaders termed the NAB ordinance as a 'draconian law' and
'worst' than the Indian black law TADA. GDA, PPP and
Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAI) have already filed petition
in Supreme Court against the NAB ordinance," Nasreen
Jalil said.
She said that the
alliance leaders were informed about the injustice and
administration tactics used to stop the defence witnesses
and lawyers in Farooq Sattar case. She informed that
restoration of democracy also come under discussion in
the meeting and the GDA leaders reiterated their demand
for restoration of true democracy in the country and
fresh impartial and free elections.
GDA leaders have also
rejected the local government proposal of the regime
saying, the local bodies could not be the substitute of
general elections. The alliance also rejected the
devolution of powers plan of the present regime and
demanded complete provincial autonomy.
Nasreen Jalil said the
alliance condemned the police raids and arrests of
political workers specially the Muttahida workers and
demanded of the regime not to use such tactics and allow
political activities in the country.
She said alliance
leaders declaring that any individual has no right to
amend the constitution has demanded of the regime to
leave this subject for the next elected parliament. The
GDA expressed concern over unemployment, downsizing,
price hike, increasing ratio of crimes and suicides and
urged the rulers to stop its anti people policies.
The GDA blamed the
present government for increasing the tariff of
electricity, gas and telephone without any reason and
demanded of the government to withdraw the new rates.
Nasreen Jalil said that the GDA in the meeting also
rejected the budget and said that the Pakistan had lost
the confidence of the international organisations and
banks due to wrong economic policies.
Nasreen Jalil said that
GDA leaders also discussed Kalabagh Dam issue. However,
she said, anti government movement did not come under
discussion in the meeting. But the meeting decided that
the alliance would take decision about the future line of
action of GDA in its next meeting to be held on August 5
in Lahore.
The meeting was attended
by Hamid Nasir Chatta, Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Nisar Khuhro,
Khurshid Shah, Nasreen Jalil, Khalid Bin Walid, Mustafa
Kamal, Shaikh Liaquat, Nawab Mirza, Farooq Bangash,
Qamoos Gul Khatak, Iftikhar Bukhari, S M Haroon, Saeed
Ahmed, Mufti Ferozuddin Hazarvi, S M Altaf, Dr Abu jafar,
Khan Amanullah Khan, M R Irshad, Najeeb Haroon,
Jan-e-Alam, Jamal Ansari, Sultan Mandokhael, Basharat
Mirza and Jamsheed Qamer.
Two Muttahida men arraigned in murder case
KARACHI, July 25: An anti-terrorism court on Tuesday formally arraigned two workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement in a murder case.
The accused, Mohammed Yousuf and Mohammed Shahid alias Shahid Lamba, however, denied their involvement in the case when Judge Arshad Noor Khan of the ATC-3 framed the charges of bus robbery, shootout with the police and murder of a head constable on them.
The Muttahida men were arrested following an alleged shootout with the Orangi Extension police near Islam Chowk in Orangi Town on April 20.
According to the prosecution, the accused looted the passengers of a minibus of route W-25 and later killed HC Shamim Akhtar when a police party challenged them.
The judge put off the hearing of the case till Wednesday and ordered the prosecution to produce its witnesses against the accused on the next date of hearing.
MURDER-CUM-ROBBERY CASE: The ATC-4, headed by Judge Khan Pervez Chang, put off the hearing of a murder-cum-robbery case till Wednesday after recording the statement of a prosecution wetness.
Kelash and Abdur Razzaque are being prosecuted for killing a man during a bungled robbery on Feb 7.
Three other alleged accomplices of theirs, Ghulam Rasool, Shahnawaz and Salim, have been declared absconders.
CONVICTED: The additional district and sessions judge, South, sentenced a driver of an oil tanker to 10 years in prison for killing two brothers.
Driver Abdul Hamid, who had hit the motorcycle of Mohammed Abrar Ahmed and Muhammed Afzal on October 6, 1999 in Clifton resulting in the death of both of them, was also ordered to pay Rs540,986 to the family of the victims as Diyat (compensation).
JUDICIAL CUSTODY: A judicial magistrate remanded two workers of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, allegedly involved in three murder cases, in judicial custody.
Accused Nadir Shah and Salahuddin alias Sofa were earlier remanded in the custody of the Liaquatabad police for interrogation in the murder cases.
Clues of terrorists found: IGP
KARACHI: The Inspector
General of Police (IGP), Sindh, Aftab Nabi has claimed
that the police have found clues of terrorists involved
in sectarian and religious killings. They will soon be
arrested and brought on the screen. Presiding over a high
level meeting at Central Police Office (CPO) on Tuesday,
he directed the city police chief and all district chiefs
to keep strict vigil on groups and elements who were
involved in such killings and trying to bring Ummah
against each other on the ground of sectarianism under
the cover of religion. He also directed the officials to
ensure security at mosques, Imambargahs and religious
institutions. He said the police force respects all sects
and schools of thought but no mischievous element would
be allowed to take law into hand. The IGP asked the
police officers to work for sectarian harmony, play due
role to eliminate sectarian hatred and strive to defuse
minor differences between Muslims. Meanwhile, the IGP
awarded appreciation certificates to the traffic cops of
Ferozabad traffic section. The IGP also awarded
certificates to Section Officer (SO) Ghulam Rabbani, and
Sub-Inspector Muhammad Iqbal, who foiled a bid of robbery
a couple of weeks ago and arrested robbers.
KMC
administrator
65 PONAM protesters arrested
SUKKUR, July 25: The Pakistan Oppressed Nations Movement (Ponam) on Tuesday took out a procession from the Tir Chowk, instead of the previously announced venue, Lab-i-Mehran, to the Clock Tower
to protest against the construction of the Kalabagh Dam. Clashes between police and Ponam workers took place at some places.
The police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, and baton-charged them. Some policemen were also injured by the bottles that Ponam workers hurled at them. The police had erected barricades to stop Ponam workers from reaching Lab-i-Mahran.
Rasool Bux Palejo, Qadir Magsi and Abdul Qadir Junejo led separate processions. Mr Palejo, who managed to reach the Clock Tower, was detained by the police and taken to the Section B police station. He was afterwards shifted to hospital.
Speaking to newsmen at the police station, Mr Palejo said Chief Executive Gen Pervez Musharraf was trying to appease Punjab by constructing the Kalabagh Dam. He added that the federal government should not dabble in this matter, which should be resolved by Sindh and Punjab.
Mr Magsi appeared at the Tir Chowk accompanied by some 40 Ponam workers. The police tried to arrest him, but he succeeded in giving them the slip.
He said hundreds of Ponam workers had been arrested.
The SSP of the Sukkur police said 65 Ponam workers had been arrested on a charge of committing hooliganism. However, a press release issued by the Sukkur district magistrate on Tuesday said 20 persons had been arrested.
The district magistrate of Sukkur, Kaleemullah Lashari, said about 50 people had gathered and tried to agitate. The police had warned them, but they had refused to disperse. As a result, the police had had to resort to baton-charge.
Ponam had announced that it would take out a procession on Tuesday from Lab-i-Mahran near the Sukkur Barrage. Till 2pm, no Ponam worker had turned up at Lab-i-Mahran, and it appeared that Ponam would not be able to take out the procession. However, at the Tir Chowk Dr Magsi appeared with some Ponam workers. Almost at the same time, Mr Palejo managed to lead a procession and arrive at the Tir Clock Tower.
SUKKUR: Top JSM leadership arrested
SUKKUR, July 25: The chairman, general secretary and deputy general secretary of the Jiay Sindh Mahaz (JSM) were arrested during a raid in Shamshadabad.
Abdul Khaliq Junejo (chairman), Khan Mohammad Bhayo (general secretary) and Ahmed Khan (deputy general secretary) of the party were picked up from Bhayo's residence where the Mahaz leaders had arranged a news conference.
Earlier, at the news conference, they condemned the police and the district administration for resorting to baton charge and accused them of torturing workers and of other excesses. Junejo also announced to observe a 'black day' on July 27 (Thursday) to condemn the large-scale arrests and police excesses in Sukkur.