Pakistani PM criticises US
Islamabad: Daily Ausaf, May 20, 2010. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has reiterated Pakistan's commitment to the war against terrorism. Recounting the many sacrifices made by Pakistan in defeating the Soviets in Afghanistan and later in the War on Terror, the Prime Minister said that at this critical moment, Pakistan rightly deserves assistance from the international community. He criticised the United States for 'playing politics' in Iraq and Afghanistan and favouring India on many vital issues. He also hinted at a 'US-India-Israel nexus' as a growing threat to Pakistan.
Lahore High Court bans Facebook
Lahore: Daily Khabrain/Jang, May 19, 2010. Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry of the Lahore High Court issued a ban on the social networking website Facebook after a particular community in it had posted images of Prophet Mohammad, hurting the the sentiments of Muslims. Jamaat-i-Islami, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam and Islamic Students Federation organized rallies in 28 cities across Pakistan, demanding government ban on the site.
Pakistan Telecommunication Authority representative Khurram Ali Mehran said that the government had no option but to implement the ban, as not doing so would have caused unrest and rioting. The ban will be effective only till May 31 when the second hearing of the case is to take place.
Wikipedia accused of spreading false about Islam
Islamabad: Daily Jasarat, May 18, 2010. Jamaat-i-Islami leader Sayyed Munawwar Hussain criticized the Organization of Islamic Countries (OIC) for not taking appropriate action against Facebook and giving a 'befitting reply to the Jewish lobby'. He was addressing a rally in front of the US Embassy in Islamabad.
He said Pakistan has the capacity to avenge the insult. Referring to Amir Cheema, who died while trying to kill the journalist who had drawn similar images in 2006, Hussain said 'millions of Amir Cheemas' will spring into action from Pakistan in the face of such provocations. He also accused Wikipedia of spreading false information about Islam.
'Hindu Taliban'
Karachi: Daily Ausaf, May 17, 2010. Quoting Indian magazine Tehelka.com's story based on a sting operation on a top Sri Ram Sena leader in India, who reportedly agreed to organise riots for money, this newspaper published a front page report, saying Hindu extremists are pliable and can be used to disturb communal harmony in India. The report said the outfit is planning to create Hindu-Muslim tensions in Maharashtra, one of the states in India. The report described the outfit as the 'Hindu Taliban'. It said the outfit leader, Pramod Muthalik, targeted Hindus, Christians and other communities, besides Muslims. It also said Muthalik is known to arrange fake Hindu-Muslim marriages in order to inflame religious tensions.
Bhutto-built Pakistan Steel Mills goes bankrupt
Karachi: Daily Jasarat, May 17, 2010. Khalid Khan and Abdul Salam, leaders of the National Labour Federation, expressed fears that workers may not be paid their salaries after the Pakistan Steel Mills was declared bankrupt yesterday. The leaders said the mills' management is planning to seal the premises and privatise it. They said the Pakistan Steel Mills Action Committee, comprising workers and staff, has filed a petition in the Supreme Court regarding the conflict.
The Pakistan Steel Mills was built by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto with Russian help, and it was further developed by Nawaz Sharif. However, former Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz wanted the mill to be privatised during the Musharraf regime. The privatization, which is opposed by all the religious leaders, was prevented at the last moment by Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry.
IMF says the Pakistan Steel Mills, Pakistan Railways and Pakistan International Airline can be saved only if they are privatised. Members of the affected sectors are now seeking political intervention in favour of nationalisation.
Only judiciary can summon Musharraf
Islamabad: Daily Jasarat, May 18, 2010. Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani has said that the controversial National Reconciliation Ordinance is not a unilateral move of the PPP leadership but involved former President Pervez Musharraf too, besides being supported by major world powers. He also emphasized that the Ordinance was the product of a series of meetings that took place in Abu Dubai and London. Besides the two main signatories, present Army Chief General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, who was then DG ISI, was also part of the negotiations. Highlighting the importance of the judiciary, Gilani said Musharraf could only be summoned by the judiciary and not the executive.
Shahid Raheem is a media researcher with ORF |
