B4U India

MQM chief Hussain says Zardari should be Pak president

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:12:00 -0400

Muttahida Qami Movement leader Altaf Hussain believes that Pakistan People''s Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari should be the frontrunner for the office of president.

Hussain told Geo TV that Zardari was the right person for the presidential slot.

The ruling coalition, including the PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), has remained divided over the presidential candidacy after former President Pervez Musharraf announced his resignation on Monday.

Zardari has said that his party has the legitimate right over the post as it was the biggest party among the coalition partners.

The PPP, had the right to appoint its own president once Musharraf was gone, the Daily Times quoted Zardari as saying.

Separately, in an interview with the Dawn News, Zardari said that political differences between the PPP and the PML-N were bound to emerge after Musharraf’s removal, but the coalition would not fall apart.

Over the past few days, Nawaz Sharif had also staked his claim for the post, saying that the next President should come from a smaller province.

Geographically, the NWFP is the smallest province, which is being presently ruled by the Awami National Party.

Under the Constitution, the election of the president should be held within thirty days of Musharraf leaving his office.

The MQM was defeated in the February 18 elections and sat on the opposition bench. (ANI)

Breach of Sunsari embankment displaces over 35,000

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:11:00 -0400

The Indian Embassy in Nepal has claimed that the Nepal administration''''s failure to cooperate with the Indian technical team working at Saptakoshi embankment caused the inundation in Sunsari, which has caused the displacement of over 35 thousand people.

"The Indian technical team has been in Nepal for last several days to reinforce and strengthen the spurs and the embankment on the Saptkoshi River in consultation with the local administration," said a statement issued on Tuesday evening by the Indian Embassy.

“Despite repeated requests and pleas by the technical team for urgent local support in view of the gravity of the situation, the support from local administration had not been forthcoming. As a result, the work was frequently delayed," statement added.

The statement said concerns of the Indian technical team and the gravity of the situation were conveyed by the Embassy to the local administration and central authorities on August 17and their cooperation and support was sought.

"At the same time, the Indian technical team was directed to carry out the work on day-and-night basis," statement added.

"The Indian technical team mobilised required resources and has remained in readiness to carry out the required work to strengthen the embankment but it was prevented from reaching the site," the statement said, adding that "As a result, thousands of people in Nepal and India have been forced to suffer a calamity that could have been avoided."

The statement further said that it is in constant touch with the concerned authorities in Nepal and India and has proposed specific action to contain and close the breach in the embankment.

"While the Indian technical team is ready to undertake protective measures, this will become possible only if it receives necessary cooperation from the Government of Nepal and support from the local people," it added.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Prachanda along with a team of various political party leaders reached Sunsari to inspect the Koshi flood affected people.

Prachanda also announced Rs 20 million relief aid for the affected families from the Prime Minister''''s Relief Fund. Nepalnews reported. (ANI)

Pak coalition partners drafting a special package to check judicial activism

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:10:00 -0400

The top hierarchy of the ruling federal alliance in Pakistan is said to be working to evolve a special constitutional reform package ensuring that there was “no judicial activism” in the future, but a truly independent judiciary to provide justice to all.

“The package will create a balance between the powers of the President and the Prime Minister,” the Daily Times quoted sources privy to the developments as saying.

They said the package is aimed at bringing harmony between the pillars of state and is not related per se to the reform package put together by the PPP.

The sources added that the package would be acceptable to all stakeholders, including the sacked and incumbent judges.

PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is trying to convince other coalition partners to move “slowly and carefully” on the issue of the restoration of judiciary, the sources said and added that he had advocated a similar approach in ousting Pervez Musharraf.

The proposed package also includes some provisions on indemnifying Musharraf’s steps to avoid constitutional complications in future, and was likely to include in the package the removal of Article 58(2b) which entails provisions empowering the President to dissolve the Assemblies.

Meanwhile, the sources said that the PPP, the ANP and the JUI-F and FATA parliamentarians are also pondering a new political dispensation if the PML-N does not accept the package and parts ways with the coalition. (ANI)

Fissures start appearing in fragile Pak coalition post-Musharraf

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:10:00 -0400

Signs of the four-party coalition government in Islamabad falling apart were witnessed last evening when PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari expressed his unwillingness to restore the deposed Supreme Court chief justice Ifthikhar Chaudhary and proposed the “Minus One” formula, which means restoration of all judges except the sacked CJ.

After the meeting failed to evolve a consensus over the issue, PML-N Nawaz Sharif walked out in a huff and declared that he would move out of the government if the PPP didn’t restore all judges, including Ifthikhar Chaudhary, within 72 hours.

“PPP Co-chairman Asif Zardari insisted on the minus-one formula – which is, restoration of all sacked judges except Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry,” an insider said, adding that representatives of FATA legislators also attended the meeting held at Zardari House.

Information Minister Sherry Rehman said that the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) sought three days for consultations with constitutional experts and for discussion within their own parties, reported the Daily Times.

A source said the deadlock on the issue of judges continued as the PPP and the PML-N stuck to their positions. “The PPP wanted the reinstatement of judges minus-one through a constitutional package but the PML-N insisted that they should be all restored through an executive order within three days as agreed already,” the paper quoted him as saying.

According to the PML-N, Zardari and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif had agreed to impeach Pervez Musharraf and then restore the judiciary within three days of his removal. But, PPP sources said there was no agreement on the specifics. But another insider said the ANP and JUI-F made it clear to the two major coalition partners that they were not party to the Murree Declaration and it was not binding on them to adhere to it. “The ANP and the JUI-F tacitly endorsed the PPP point of view,” he said.

Another source privy to the meeting said that Zardari told participants of the meeting that Iftikhar Chaudhry had become political and controversial. But, the PML-N chief reacted sharply to his stance and made it clear that it would not be acceptable to his party. Nawaz also believed the proposed constitutional package would indemnify Musharraf’s “unconstitutional steps and was therefore opposed to it”. (ANI)

Pak’s K-policy not to be affected by Musharraf''s resignation

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:10:00 -0400

Pakistan-occupied-Kashmir (PoK) prime minister Sardar Atiq Ahmed Khan has said that former president Pervez Musharraf’s resignation “would not affect” Pakistan’s policy on Kashmir.

The prime minister said Musharraf’s four-point formula was never a final solution of Kashmir issue but it was one step forward towards the issue.

Khan said while addressing a national security workshop here in Muzaffarabad last evening, reported The News.

On this occasion, the PoK premier appealed to Pakistani government to continue the Kashmir policy given by former president. (ANI)