Why is Zardari reluctant to release Benazir murder investigation report?
Islamabad: Daily Jasarat, April 2, 2010. President Asif Ali Zardari has come up for severe criticism in the wake of two recent events. First, after the Supreme Court declared the National Reconciliation Bill invalid, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has submitted a detailed list of foreign bank accounts in the name of Zardari and other shareholders. According to the NAB inventory list, Zardari owns four out of the 12 foreign accounts, many of which were opened jointly with his wife
Secondly, in a surprise move, Zardari delayed the release of findings of the UN team that investigated the assassination of former Prime Minster, Benazir Bhutto. The UN team claims that release of the much talked about report has been postponed till April 15 on the request of the President himself. Political circles in Islamabad are rife with rumours of Zardari withholding the release of the UN report as he might be indirectly implicated in the murder. He is known to have publicly said that he knew the identity of the killers.
Obama's New Afghan Policy
Islamabad: Daily Ausaf/Jasarat, April 03, 2010. US President Barak Hussain Obama has distinguished himself from previous American Presidents by making a surprise visit to Afghanistan. During his visit, he addressed the NATO forces and boosted their morale, met Afghan President Hamid Karzai and reiterated US support for nation building in Afghanistan. However, during his short stay in the war torn country, 25 soldiers, including 13 Pakistani, 7 French, 4 US, and one British trooper were killed, highlighting the grave dangers present. The US President, in his speech, emphasized that Afghan forces need more training, and that Pakistani forces need to work hard against al-Qaida-Taliban insurgents.
Pakistan reacts against US-led containment of Iran
Islamabad: Daily Jasarat, April 04, 2010. Pakistani Urdu media reacted strongly against US-led campaign against Iran. Recently, US President Barak Obama announced at a joint press conference with French President Nicolas Sarkozy that America and France were against the growing arms race in Middle East and would proceed to ban Iran's nuclear programme within the next few weeks. They are in the process of building international unanimity on the issue.
Pakistan, however, has carefully aligned with China and is seen in favour of talks with Iran. The Chinese External Affairs representative, Mr. Quinn Gang, said in a joint press meet with special Iranian representative Saied Jalali that China wants to resolve nuclear programme dispute peacefully.
Six global powers including Russia and China have agreed to impose economic sanctions against Iran, but Iranian representative Saied Jalali alleged that much false claims were fabricated by India after Tehran changed the scheduled dates of Indian External Minister S.M. Krishna's visit to Iran last week. Iran has scaled down its relations with India after the latter voted against Iran in the United Nations Security Council.
Countering Punjabi Taliban
Lahore: Daily Ausaf, April 02, 2010. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif denied the existence of 'Punjabi Taliban' in the province. He accused America of defaming the Punjab province. Additional US Secretary of External Affairs for South Asia, Robert Blake had recently said that Pakistan should counter the growing influence of the Punjabi Taliban. According to Mr. Robert Blake, terrorists involved in the attacks on the Indian Parliament, the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai, and the Lahore attack against Sri Lankan cricketers were conducted by Lashkar-e-Tayyeba and Jaish-e-Mohammad, groups that belong to Punjab. Shahbaz Sharif termed it as a conspiracy against Punjab's domination over Pakistan.
There is no Barelvi Terrorist
Tandu Adam: Daily Jang, March 23, 2010. . The clergy belonging to the Barelvi school of thought have issued a fatwa against the Gauhar Shahi community and its organization, the 'Sarfarosh-ane-Islam', and have identified them as terrorists. Leader of Khatm-i-Nabuwat Conference Maulana Rashid Madni and Mufti Mohammad Tahir accused community leaders of conniving with Jewish conspirators. He said there was a concerted effort to defame the Barelvi section by linking it with the Punjabi Taliban. Mawlana Madni assured that followers of Barelvi Islam were truly non violent as they were true Sufis. The non-Muslim agents were conspiring against the Barelvi section by using Barelvi dress-code, he concluded.
Musharraf launches political party
Karachi: Daily Jang, April 01, 2010. Former Pakistan President and retired Army chief General Pervez Musharraf has launched a new political party in the name of All Pakistan Muslim League. He made the news public at Abu Dhabi recently. Former Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Sher Afghan Khan Niyazi disclosed that the party will be registered next week. Sher Afghan said that the two-year mandatory restriction on Musharraf against joining politics ended on March 20 and therefore, Musharraf wass now free to join politics.
Shahid Raheem is a media researcher with ORF |
