SHAIKH Talib Aur Uis K DOST....

SC orders govt to restart Swiss cases, replace NAB high-ups | NRO is dead, cases reopened

Action against Qayyum ordered; PPP claims Zardari enjoys indemnity

Hasnat Malik

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared the the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) unconstitutional.

COAS refuses to expand operation

Says Pakistan can't open several fronts at one time


RAWALPINDI: Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has made it clear to the chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee Admiral Mike Mullen that decision to expand military operation in tribal areas of the country would be taken keeping in view the country's interest.

Cabinet okays austerity steps

Expenses on visits of PM, President, ministers to be reduced by 40pc



ISLAMABAD: The federal cabinet approved a series of austerity measures and decided that the number of ministries/divisions will be curtailed and ministries will reduce expenditure on foreign visits by 30%, while expenditure on visits of ministers, prime minister and the President will be reduced by 40 per cent.

Root canal or dental implant?

Root canals and dental implants are equally successful, but implants may need more follow-up maintenance, a new study shows. Dental implants replace tooth roots. A root canal is a procedure designed to save an infected or decayed tooth. The study comes from researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. James Porter Hannahan, DMD, and Paul Duncan Eleazer, DDS, followed 129 dental implants and 143 root canals for three years, on average. Dental implants and root canals had similar success rates, meaning that the teeth in question were still in the mouth and hadn't rotated or needed further correction. Those success rates were 98 percent to 99 percent. "There appears to be little difference in the success of the two treatments," except that "implants required additional procedures more frequently" than teeth that got root canals, Hannahan and Eleazer told

Drone strikes in Balochistan to be counterproductive: Gilani

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani on Wednesday reiterated the Pakistan’s resolve to promote long-term strategic partnership with the United States.

“It is our desire to engage closely with the US with a view to enhance cooperation for the achievement of common objectives”, Gilani said while talking to the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Admiral Michael Mullen who called on him here at the PM House on Wednesday evening.

During the meeting Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani assisted the Prime Minister.

Talking about the ongoing military operation against the militants, the Prime Minister said that “this is our own war and every effort would be made to eliminate this menace”.

He said that Pakistan would continue to engage with the US and international community in developing a pragmatic and effective approach to address the issues that have endangered security and stability in the region as a whole.

The Prime Minister said that drone attacks in Balochistan would be highly counter-productive and would affect Government of Pakistan’s efforts to confront the challenge of terrorism.

The Prime Minister said that pledges made during the FODP meeting should be fulfilled without any delay to enable Pakistan fight the militancy effectively.

He further said that Pakistan expects the US for timely reimbursement of its claims on account of coalition support fund.

Admiral Michael Mullen informed the Prime Minister that US desires good relations with Pakistan. He also appreciated the role and successes of Pakistan Army in its fight against the militants.

American Ambassador to Pakistan Ms. Anne W. Paterson was also present during the meeting.

PML-N demands President Zardari’s resignation, midterm elections

LAHORE: President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari must resign on the moral grounds, Khuwaja Asif, leader of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) told SAMAA in News Beat Wednesday.

All the NRO beneficiaries must resign from their posts including President Zardari. President Zardari can become President after getting clarification of his cases from the courts. The conditions of the country are worsening. There is only one constitutional way left for the country to have midterm elections in the current situation, he added.

The democracy has come in the country with the efforts of political workers, media, civil society and not through NRO, he added. SAMAA

SCdeclares NRO unconstitutional ......

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan has declared National reconciliation ordinance (NRO) unconstitutional, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry announced the verdict of 17 member larger bench of Supreme Court on Wednesday.

The short verdict of the Supreme Court has declared NRO unconstitutional. And all the cases which have been sidelined after NRO have been revived once again. NRO is against the interests of the country. The provincial governments and prosecutors must help courts in NRO cases. All the beneciaries of NRO have to face the trial.

Earlier, Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry said that the provisional decision regarding NRO petitions will be announced at 4:30 pm, after the completion of the hearing of the NRO petitions.

The larger bench of Supreme Court consisting of 17 members started hearing the petitions on NRO. Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry said to care taker Attorney General to produce the original file of the Swiss cases. The care taker Attorney General responded that the government has no availability of the original file of the Swiss cases. Justice Javed Iqbal made remarks on the reply of care taker Attorney General that this is not the time when the things are being hidden and not being produced before the courts as was done in the past. The principal secretary of Presidential House explained in the Supreme Court that there is no original file of Swiss cases in the Presidential House. Chief Justice said on the reply of principal secretary of Presidential House that if there is no original file of Swiss cases in the Presidential House then it means that Presidential House has given the unconstitutional instructions. The principal secretary of Presidential House Salman farooqi said that the file regarding the Swiss cases belongs to the personal section which is being dealt by military secretary. The man assisting the court Justice (retd) Allah Nawaz said that that NRO is immoral and it was brought to safe guards the thieves and robbers. Justic Ramday said in his remarks that 8000 people were given immunity from criminal cases. The man assisting the court Shaiq Usmani said that it was not the right way to give immunity to people involved in the criminal cases.

REACTION

Farhatullah Babar, Presidential Spokesman said that Pakistan People’s Party government respects the courts and the verdict of the court.

President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has immunity given by the constitution from all the cases. Under article 242 of the constitution the President Zardari has immunity from all the cases, he added.

Qazi Hussain Ahmed, former Ameer Jamaat-e-Islami said that the verdict of Supreme Court is the victory of the people of the country. President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has the legal obligation to resign. All the corrupt people have to face accountability at the present moment. The judiciary has been independant and now it would provide justice to the public of the country, he added.

Rana Sanaullah, Punjab Law Minister said that the decision of Supreme Court of Pakistan to declare NRO as unconstitutional is a very good step. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court of Pakistan. The President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari has the constitutional immunity from the cases. But it is the moral responsibility of President Zardari that it should resign from presidency, he added.

34 POLITICIANS AMONG NRO BENEFICIARIES

The National Reconciliation Order's (NRO) beneficiaries include 34 politicians, Federal State Minister for Law Mohammad Afzal Sindhu told media.

The list also includes the major politicians of the country including Pakistan People's Party leader President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari and Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) leader Altaf Hussain. There were 248 beneficiaries include politicians, bureaucrats and three ambassadors, he added. The NRO beneficiaries include President Asif Ali Zardari, Begum Nusrat Bhutto, Rehman Malik, Chaudhry Shaukat Ali, haji Kabeer Ahmed, Jahangir badar, Malik Mushtaq Awan, rana Nazeer Ahmed, mian Mohammad Rasheed, Tariq Anees, Chaudhy Abdul Hameed, Mian Tariq Mehmood, Haji Mohammad NawazAnwar Saifullah Khan, Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar, Sardar Masood Leghari, Agha Siraj Durrani, ftab Ahmed Sherpao, Ghani-ur-Rehman, Haji Gul Sher Khan, Habibullah Kundi, Mirbaz Khan Khatran, Farooq Sattar, Babar Ghuri, Ishrat-ul-Ibad, Noman Sehgal, imran farooq, Shoaib Bokhari, waseem Akhtar, Saleem Shehzad, Qamar Khalid Younis and Safdar Bakri. There are seven cases on President Asif Ali Zardari and 72 cases on MQM leader Altaf hussain, he added.

REACTION

There are no corruption cases on the leaders and activists Mutahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Haider Abbas Rizvi told SAMAA. MQM has always faced the cases. We are prepared to face our cases in the courts and we also advise to all the beneficiaries of NRO to face the courts, he added.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz's (PML-N) Information Secretary Ahsan Iqbal told SAMAA that PML-N have faced the cases. Therefore, we also advise Pakistan People's Party leaders to resign from their posts and face the cases in the courts, he added.

Pakistan Muslim league-Quaid (PML-Q) leader Mushahid Hussain told SAMAA that there is no one in the PML-Q who had been benefited from NRO. The government must sacrifice and the NRO beneficiary ministers must resign and face their cases in the courts, he added.

Haji Adeel, leader of Awami National Party said that there were many cases on the politicians who had not been proved since long and many of the politicians had faced imprisonment for years. It was the responsibility of the courts to decide cases immediately, he added.

Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed, leader of Awami League said that NRO beneficiaries must face the cases in the courts. The government is unpopular in the masses and it has become weak, he added. SAMAA