Monday, February 13, 2012
Bahrain police repel protesters in Manama
Security forces in Bahrain fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesters trying to occupy a landmark roundabout in the nation's capital on Monday, one day ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Gulf kingdom's popular uprising.Thousands of opposition supporters marched through Manama's streets in the largest attempt in months to retake Pearl Roundabout, which served as the epicenter of weeks of pro-democracy protests last year.
Thousands of riot police and other security forces have staked out positions around the square and across the Gulf island nation to prevent the opposition from staging a mass rally in or near the roundabout.
Opposition supporters were undeterred by the authorities' warnings of zero tolerance for anti-government activities around the strategic island that is the home of the US Navy's 5th Fleet.
"We will not back down,'' said Nader Abdulimam, who had taken refuge in a house just outside of Manama with other protesters overcome by tear gas. "This has gone on for one year and it will go for another year or more.''
Some protesters hurled firebombs and rocks after the security forces fired tear gas. In an area about 10km west of central Manama, some demonstrators stood atop Bahrain's ancient burial mounds, some more
than 5,000 years old, waving flags featuring the image of Pearl Roundabout's six-pronged monument.
Sporadic clashes
Authorities imposed martial law after security forces stormed the protesters' encampment at the landmark square, and later tore down the Pearl monument.
The now heavily guarded square holds great symbolic value for Bahrain's opposition movement, and protesters have repeatedly tried to retake it. But the capital has largely been off limits to demonstrators since March.Street battles between security forces and protesters still flare up almost every day in the predominantly Shia villages around the capital.
Bahrain's ruling Sunni monarchy has said it would not tolerate a rise in protests to mark the anniversary. Sporadic clashes occurred on Sunday with police firing tear gas.
The island's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said last year's events were regrettable, although he downplayed the severity of the threat the protests had posed to the 200-year-old-rule of the Sunni dynasty.
The king says that a massive opposition movement does not really exist in the country.
"I regret the events of the past year,'' he told the German weekly Der Spiegel in an interview that was published on Sunday.
"But there is no opposition in Bahrain, not in the sense of a united bloc. Such a thing is not in our constitution. There are just people with different views, and that is good."
Village 'sieges'
Shias account for about 70 per cent of Bahrain's population of some 525,000 people, but say they have faced decades of discrimination, such as being denied access to senior political and security posts.
Bahrain's Sunni rulers have taken steps on reforms, including relinquishing more powers to parliament. In an announcement early on Monday, Bahrain's king named a Shia, Sadok bin Abdulkarim al-Shehabi, as health minister.
The health position is significant because Bahrain's main hospital figured prominently during the early weeks of the uprising with authorities claiming medical staff aided demonstrators. Dozens of doctors and nurses have been put on trial.
The government, however, has so far refused to make the far-reaching changes the protesters and the main Shia group, Al Wefaq, the country's largest opposition party, have demanded.These include ending the monarchy's ability to select the government and set all-important state policies.
Al Wefaq criticised the authorities for imposing "a siege" on the villages around Manama ahead of the first anniversary of Bahrain's "revolution".
Its statement on Sunday said police stormed houses and fired tear gas indiscriminately in densely populated civilian areas. There were no reports of injuries, but Al Wefaq said several people were detained.
At least 40 people have been killed during months of political unrest in Bahrain.
In another tightening of policies, the official Bahrain News Agency said the kingdom would demand prior visa approval for many nations that had been allowed to obtain entry stamps upon arrival, including the US and other Western countries.
The decision follows the deportation on Sunday of two American activists accused of joining protests after entering on tourist visas.
PPP leaders criticise 'political orphan's' meeting with Nawaz Sharif
The Express Tribune
A Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and senior minister for education and literacy, Pir Mazharul Haq on Monday criticised the meeting between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif and chairman of Sindh National Front (SNF) Mumtaz Ali Bhutto.
Haq, along with Agha Siraj Durrani, Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Syed Murad Ali Shah and Shazia Marri held a joint press conference in the committee room of Sindh Assembly.
Terming Bhutto a “political orphan,” the PPP leaders claimed that he could not even win a union council election. They further said that Bhutto was hatching conspiracies against Sindh but the people of Sindh would reject him.
They also alleged that Sharif was seeking political entry into Sindh through “non-entities” like Bhutto.
Expressing hope for votes in the next elections, they said that the ruling PPP government has served the people of Sindh and provided them with jobs and other facilities.
The leaders said that the government would continue with its policy of political reconciliation and take all coalition partners on board for every important decision.
A Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader and senior minister for education and literacy, Pir Mazharul Haq on Monday criticised the meeting between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) President Nawaz Sharif and chairman of Sindh National Front (SNF) Mumtaz Ali Bhutto.
Haq, along with Agha Siraj Durrani, Muhammad Ayaz Soomro, Syed Murad Ali Shah and Shazia Marri held a joint press conference in the committee room of Sindh Assembly.
Terming Bhutto a “political orphan,” the PPP leaders claimed that he could not even win a union council election. They further said that Bhutto was hatching conspiracies against Sindh but the people of Sindh would reject him.
They also alleged that Sharif was seeking political entry into Sindh through “non-entities” like Bhutto.
Expressing hope for votes in the next elections, they said that the ruling PPP government has served the people of Sindh and provided them with jobs and other facilities.
The leaders said that the government would continue with its policy of political reconciliation and take all coalition partners on board for every important decision.
Pakistan's Supreme Court Vs. Everybody: But Most of All the Prime Minister
When Yousaf Raza Gilani was elected as Pakistan's Prime Minister four years ago, his first act was to release the top judges who were under house arrest under orders from Pakistan's then ruler Gen. Pervez Musharraf. On Monday, the very same judges indicted Gilani on charges of contempt of court for failing to pursue allegations of corruption against his boss, President Asif Ali Zardari. If Gilani is convicted, he will be disqualified from parliament and could face up to six months behind bars.
Gilani seems braced for the occasion. "If I'm convicted," the prime minister told Al-Jazeera in an interview on the eve of his court appearance, "then I'm not supposed to be a member of parliament." Earlier, the Supreme Court denied his appeal against the contempt charges. On Monday, Gilani made a second appearance at the court, waving enthusiastically at the small crowd of supporters that had gathered to cheer on his defiance.
Despite the court's apparent determination to press ahead with the high-profile case, there is little prospect of Zardari's government falling. If the court finds Gilani guilty, legal experts say, it won't be any time soon. The case could drag on for the next few weeks, averting any sudden crisis. And in the event that Gilani is convicted, the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP) can name a replacement and hold on to its coalition government.
But the crisis will consume the energies of an already weak, unpopular and shaky government. As survival becomes a priority, other pressing concerns such as Pakistan's crucial fight against militancy, its faltering economy, and its desperate energy shortages will be neglected.
The Supreme Court has been angered by Gilani's stubborn refusals to comply with its demands — which consist of writing a letter to Swiss authorities, urging them to reopen old corruption charges against Zardari. In 2009, the court struck down an amnesty against corruption charges for the President issued by Musharraf, clearing the way for corruption charges to be revived.
For the government and its supporters, the Supreme Court's actions amount to little more than a judicial coup in slow motion. Casting a withering eye at the court's record, they say that the judges have concentrated their ire against the government while mostly sparing the military and the political opposition. The PPP also has a history of the hostility toward the judiciary, stretching back to party founder Zulfikar Ali Bhutto's hanging in 1979 on a trumped-up murder charge.
Zardari's corruption charges have come back into focus at the same time as the court is investigating an American businessman's claims that his former ambassador to Washington orchestrated a "treasonous" memo, calling on the U.S. military to rein in their Pakistani counterparts and avert a coup in the days following the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. The case was brought forward by the political opposition led by former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and is backed by the powerful military.
Despite the fact that the former envoy resigned and the accusing businessman has failed to appear in Pakistan to testify, the Supreme Court is keeping the case open, to the government's fury. The court's indulgence, government supporters say, is further evidence of a shadowy nexus that unites the generals, the opposition, the media and the courts against the government. VIDEO: Command Post, Pakistan After bin Laden
The government also appears to be girding itself for the worst outcome, casting itself as a political victim — something that could help rally the ruling party's base at the next elections. They are determined not to incriminate Zardari by writing the letter to the Swiss authorities. If Gilani is no longer able to remain prime minister, the PPP is discussing the possibility of appointing Makhdoom Shahabuddin, another politician from southern Punjab. If Shahabuddin ends up being disqualified, too, the PPP may use that "victimization" to enhance its standing in the politically crucial battleground of southern Punjab.
In a landscape where the army still bears the stains of Musharraf's dictatorship, and where politicians are perceived as inept, distant and venal, the Supreme Court can claim a rare source of much-prized "moral authority." When the prominent politician Mushahid Hussain was asked during a lecture in Karachi who was ruling the country, he said that it was the Chief Justice.
At the same time, many independent legal experts still see the court as tilting the playing field. Last month, when rumors coursed through Islamabad suggesting that the government could sack the military chiefs, the court demanded confirmation that no move would be made against the army. The move challenged the government's prerogative of appointing military chiefs.
"The Supreme Court in Pakistan is a completely new axis that has emerged," says Vali Nasr, professor of international politics at Tufts University. However, despite its decisions that favored the military establishment, the court isn't the best friend of the generals at all. In recent weeks, the court has decided to summon top intelligence officials and question them about the illegal detention of terrorism suspects — a move that lends some balance to its decisions. It will also, later this month, hear a case from the early 1990s that alleges the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) agency supported select candidates in an effort to destabilize the PPP. The military, says Nasr, has "periodically been on a collision course with the Supreme Court." PHOTOS: The Suicide Bombings in Islamabad
The court's supporters see its behavior as that of a flourishing independent judiciary. After being sacked twice by Musharraf, Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry was reinstated after popular lawyer-led demonstrations forced Zardari and Gilani's government to capitulate to the demands. The army chief, Gen. Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, also made a discreet intervention in support of Chaudhry. Chaudhry is sometimes described by critics as a vain and arrogant judge who is exercising outsized influence. Since his return to the bench in 2009, the chief justice has displayed a rare enthusiasm for judicial activism. His interests have ranged from a baffling decision to punish a famous actress for allegedly carrying two bottles of wine, to challenging the hold that armed groups have over the large, volatile port city of Karachi.
Gilani appears willing to suffer any blows a confrontation with the judiciary may deliver. As he is keen to point out, he has already spent five years in jail under Musharraf's rule for what many saw as politically slanted charges. A return to prison for a few more months is the political price he seems willing to pay. If anything, it may ensure that his government lasts until next month's senate elections, where the ruling PPP is poised to secure the highest number of seats.
As for Zardari, the corruption cases against him are unlikely to be reopened even if the government decides to capitulate and write to the Swiss authorities. Under Pakistan's constitution, Zardari enjoys presidential immunity and cannot face charges at home or abroad. And he has already spent over 11 years behind bars for a range of charges that have never been proven.
The most immediate victim is likely to be the government's ability to function, beset by potential changes in leadership and paralysis. For the economic and security basket case of South Asia, that is not good news.
Bahraini regime forces attack protesters in Manama
Press TV
Bahraini regime forces fire teargas and sound grenades to disperse anti-government protesters in the capital, Manama.
Witnesses said many protesters were also injured during the attack on Monday.
The demonstration in Manama took place ahead of the first anniversary of the popular uprising against the ruling Al Khalifa family that emerged in February 2011.
On Sunday, regime forces arrested human rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja during an anti-government demonstration in Manama. The Bahraini activist was marching with other protesters toward the Pearl Square in the capital.
In December 2011, Khawaja had been arrested during a protest in Manama. Reports said she had been “beaten by police officers while out of sight of cameras.”
The female Bahraini protester is a daughter of prominent human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who was given a life sentence in June last year.
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights said on Sunday that Abdulhadi al-Khawaja entered the 5th day of his hunger strike for freedom. His health condition has been deteriorating over the past few days, the Bahraini center said.
Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more arrested or fired from their jobs since the beginning of the popular uprising in Bahrain.
On January 26, the Amnesty International called on Bahraini authorities to “investigate and account for the reports of more than a dozen deaths following tear gas use.”
Bahraini regime forces fire teargas and sound grenades to disperse anti-government protesters in the capital, Manama.
Witnesses said many protesters were also injured during the attack on Monday.
The demonstration in Manama took place ahead of the first anniversary of the popular uprising against the ruling Al Khalifa family that emerged in February 2011.
On Sunday, regime forces arrested human rights activist Zainab al-Khawaja during an anti-government demonstration in Manama. The Bahraini activist was marching with other protesters toward the Pearl Square in the capital.
In December 2011, Khawaja had been arrested during a protest in Manama. Reports said she had been “beaten by police officers while out of sight of cameras.”
The female Bahraini protester is a daughter of prominent human rights activist Abdulhadi al-Khawaja, who was given a life sentence in June last year.
The Bahrain Center for Human Rights said on Sunday that Abdulhadi al-Khawaja entered the 5th day of his hunger strike for freedom. His health condition has been deteriorating over the past few days, the Bahraini center said.
Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds more arrested or fired from their jobs since the beginning of the popular uprising in Bahrain.
On January 26, the Amnesty International called on Bahraini authorities to “investigate and account for the reports of more than a dozen deaths following tear gas use.”
Deaf Pakistani Girl Describes Ordeal as Sex Slave
A young, deaf Pakistani woman says she was only 10 when she was trafficked into Britain where she was repeatedly raped and beaten for nearly a decade.
The woman, now in her 20s, told a court Monday that she was kept in a cellar and forced to work as a virtual slave.
A Pakistani couple — 83-year-old Ilyas Ashar and his wife, 66-year-old Tallat Ashar — are accused of false imprisonment, human trafficking, sexual offenses, violence and benefit fraud. Both have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The woman, who can't be identified for legal reasons, said she was brought from Pakistan to work as a domestic servant in Manchester.
It is unclear why Britain's Home Office permitted the couple to bring the girl.
Bahrain police fire tear gas at protesters
Associated Press
Security forces in Bahrain fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesters trying to occupy a landmark square in the nation's capital on Monday ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Gulf kingdom's Shiite-led uprising.
Thousands of opposition supporters marched through Manama's streets in the largest attempt in months to retake Pearl Square, the central roundabout that served as the epicenter of weeks of protests last year by Bahrain's Shiite majority against the ruling Sunni dynasty.
Thousands of riot police and other security forces have staked out positions around the square and across the Gulf island nation to prevent the opposition from staging a mass rally in or near the plaza to mark Tuesday's one-year anniversary of the revolt.
Opposition supporters were undeterred by the authorities' warnings of zero tolerance for anti-government activities around the strategic island that is the home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.
"We will not back down," said Nader Abdulimam, who had taken refuge in a house just outside of Manama with other protesters overcome by tear gas. "This has gone on for one year and it will go for another year or more."
Some protesters hurled firebombs and rocks after the security forces fired tear gas. In an area about six miles (10 kilometers) west of central Manama, some demonstrators stood atop Bahrain's ancient burial mounds — some more than 5,000 years old — waving flags featuring the image of Pearl Square's six-pronged monument.
More than 50 police vehicles filled a site that protesters have dubbed "Freedom Square," which hosted several government-sanctioned opposition gatherings last week.
After the government imposed martial law last March in response to the demonstrations, security forces stormed the protesters' encampment at the landmark square in a bid to crush the uprising. The authorities then razed the towering white monument that stood in the center of the plaza.
The now heavily guarded square holds great symbolic value for Bahrain's opposition movement, and protesters have repeatedly tried to reoccupy it. But authorities have effectively locked off the capital to demonstrations since March.
Emergency rule was lifted in June, but street battles between security forces and protesters still flare up almost every day in the predominantly Shiite villages around the capital.
At least 40 people have been killed during months of unprecedented political unrest in Bahrain, the Gulf country hardest hit by upheaval during last year's Arab Spring protests. Neighboring Saudi Arabia and other Sunni-ruled Gulf states dispatched troops to Bahrain in March to help crush the protests.
Shiites account for about 70 percent of Bahrain's population of some 525,000 people, but say they have faced decades of discrimination and are blocked from top political and security posts.
Bahrain's Sunni rulers have promised reforms, although they refused to make the far-reaching changes the protesters and the main Shiite group, Al Wefaq, have demanded. These include ending the monarchy's ability to select the government and set key state policies.
On Monday, Amnesty International noted that Bahrain's leaders have taken some steps toward easing tensions in the past year, including reinstating hundreds of workers dismissed for protesting and ending military-run tribunals. The group urged more measures to show that the steps were "more than a public relations exercise."
Amnesty called for releasing prisoners held on protest-related offenses and moving ahead with investigations into alleged abuses by security forces and others.
Security forces in Bahrain fired tear gas and stun grenades at protesters trying to occupy a landmark square in the nation's capital on Monday ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Gulf kingdom's Shiite-led uprising.
Thousands of opposition supporters marched through Manama's streets in the largest attempt in months to retake Pearl Square, the central roundabout that served as the epicenter of weeks of protests last year by Bahrain's Shiite majority against the ruling Sunni dynasty.
Thousands of riot police and other security forces have staked out positions around the square and across the Gulf island nation to prevent the opposition from staging a mass rally in or near the plaza to mark Tuesday's one-year anniversary of the revolt.
Opposition supporters were undeterred by the authorities' warnings of zero tolerance for anti-government activities around the strategic island that is the home of the U.S. Navy's 5th Fleet.
"We will not back down," said Nader Abdulimam, who had taken refuge in a house just outside of Manama with other protesters overcome by tear gas. "This has gone on for one year and it will go for another year or more."
Some protesters hurled firebombs and rocks after the security forces fired tear gas. In an area about six miles (10 kilometers) west of central Manama, some demonstrators stood atop Bahrain's ancient burial mounds — some more than 5,000 years old — waving flags featuring the image of Pearl Square's six-pronged monument.
More than 50 police vehicles filled a site that protesters have dubbed "Freedom Square," which hosted several government-sanctioned opposition gatherings last week.
After the government imposed martial law last March in response to the demonstrations, security forces stormed the protesters' encampment at the landmark square in a bid to crush the uprising. The authorities then razed the towering white monument that stood in the center of the plaza.
The now heavily guarded square holds great symbolic value for Bahrain's opposition movement, and protesters have repeatedly tried to reoccupy it. But authorities have effectively locked off the capital to demonstrations since March.
Emergency rule was lifted in June, but street battles between security forces and protesters still flare up almost every day in the predominantly Shiite villages around the capital.
At least 40 people have been killed during months of unprecedented political unrest in Bahrain, the Gulf country hardest hit by upheaval during last year's Arab Spring protests. Neighboring Saudi Arabia and other Sunni-ruled Gulf states dispatched troops to Bahrain in March to help crush the protests.
Shiites account for about 70 percent of Bahrain's population of some 525,000 people, but say they have faced decades of discrimination and are blocked from top political and security posts.
Bahrain's Sunni rulers have promised reforms, although they refused to make the far-reaching changes the protesters and the main Shiite group, Al Wefaq, have demanded. These include ending the monarchy's ability to select the government and set key state policies.
On Monday, Amnesty International noted that Bahrain's leaders have taken some steps toward easing tensions in the past year, including reinstating hundreds of workers dismissed for protesting and ending military-run tribunals. The group urged more measures to show that the steps were "more than a public relations exercise."
Amnesty called for releasing prisoners held on protest-related offenses and moving ahead with investigations into alleged abuses by security forces and others.
So PML-N MPAs will ‘eat land’ now?
A group of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPAs from Lahore are allegedly conspiring with the help of Lahore director colleges to grab around 73 kanals of land of the historic Mohammedan Anglo-Oriental College (MAO) playground in a move that is being widely protested among educationists, students unions and civil society circles, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources revealed to Pakistan Today that the PML-N MPAs, with full support of the director colleges, are pressuring the college administration to not to raise hue and cry over the incident and to allow them to grab the land. On the other hand, education community has demanded of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif to save the administration and to punish the MPAs and the officials concerned.
“We will burn his laptops in front of the CM House if he does not stop his MPAs from grabbing our land,” students said, adding “he should pay attention to what his party members are doing instead of taking part I political point-scoring.”
“The CM has been making a lot of effort to improve his party’s image and to promote healthy environment on the campuses but this move from his own party members can destroy all his efforts,” sources said.
MAO College’s playground, worth billion of rupees, is located in Sham Nagar. The campus is divided into two parts with one 48 kanal piece that is home to the main academic block, is situated in front of UOE sub campus whereas around 71 kanals of land are located in Raj Garh. Due to heavy commercialisation of the area, the price of this land has gone up.
According to an official, the Evacuee Property Trust Board (EPTB) was also told that a group of PML-N MPAs were trying to grab MAO College’s land. He said the college held historical importance and had owned the land since way before the partition, adding that the land was officially given to the college in 1985 and a notification had also been issued. He said the notification clearly stated that the land would only be used for the purpose of education and if an attempt were to be made to use it for some other purpose, the land would automatically come under the ETPB.
According to sources, 6 kanal land of the college have already been grabbed and a case is pending the courts. Sources said two MPAs had already received directives from the CM that the land of educational institutions could only be used for the same and not for some other purpose.
According to an official of the Higher Education Department Director Colleges Rana Naseem was an important tool and was working for the land grabbers. He said the environment in the colleges was improving after students’ unions were banned but this move could create trouble for the government.
“We will hold protests with the union and we will not let them get away with this,” said a former student union member. He even though it was true that the MAO College was notorious for gambling and other illegal activities but that had changed now and the college was moving in the right direction. “We request the CM to look into the matter and to rid us of these PML-N land-eaters,” the student said.
DIRECTOR COLLEGES: “These allegations are false I have no role in this land grabbing. The department will never allow such a move,” Lahore Director Colleges Rana Naseem said.
Veena Malik inviting bachelors to win her heart this V-Day
entertainment.oneindia.in
The Valentine's Day is the love season and all the bachelors will be having their heart racing with double speed. This is made sure by Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who instead of painting the town red, has painted herself with the love... literary.
Veena Malik has come out with this sweet gesture in order to prove her point that she is all love and no hate. She is inviting all the eligible bachelors and giving them a chance of their lifetime to steal Veena's heart in her upcoming television series Swayamwar and she will be deciding her life partner there.
So, all you bachelors take the plunge, who knows the luck can smile on your time. Veena also added, “I still believe in love that someone is waiting for you in your life and will sweep u of your feet and be with you till the last breath of your life.” Swayamwar will go on air soon on NDTV Imagine.
The Valentine's Day is the love season and all the bachelors will be having their heart racing with double speed. This is made sure by Pakistani actress Veena Malik, who instead of painting the town red, has painted herself with the love... literary.
Veena Malik has come out with this sweet gesture in order to prove her point that she is all love and no hate. She is inviting all the eligible bachelors and giving them a chance of their lifetime to steal Veena's heart in her upcoming television series Swayamwar and she will be deciding her life partner there.
So, all you bachelors take the plunge, who knows the luck can smile on your time. Veena also added, “I still believe in love that someone is waiting for you in your life and will sweep u of your feet and be with you till the last breath of your life.” Swayamwar will go on air soon on NDTV Imagine.
Russia Studying Syria Peacekeeper Proposal
TIME.COM
Russia's foreign minister says his country will study an Arab League proposal for a joint peacekeeping mission in Syria with the United Nations.
However, Sergey Lavrov said Monday that a cease-fire would have to be declared before any such mission could be deployed."We should first have peace, which would be supported," Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Arab League made the proposal for the joint peacekeeping mission Sunday. The Syrian government quickly rejected the idea.
Russia's foreign minister says his country will study an Arab League proposal for a joint peacekeeping mission in Syria with the United Nations.
However, Sergey Lavrov said Monday that a cease-fire would have to be declared before any such mission could be deployed."We should first have peace, which would be supported," Lavrov said at a news conference in Moscow with United Arab Emirates Foreign Minister Sheik Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
The Arab League made the proposal for the joint peacekeeping mission Sunday. The Syrian government quickly rejected the idea.
The Voice: Whitney Houston (1963-2012)
Several years ago in Los Angeles, I walked out of a hotel in Westwood and saw a beautiful but slight woman step out of a limousine, stride past her bodyguards and head up the front steps. It took me several moments to say to myself, “Isn’t that Whitney Houston?” She wasn’t what I expected. She wasn’t of supermodel dimensions – even if she was one of the most beautiful women in the world. She didn’t say a word – even though her voice will echo forever in the soundtrack of the my life. She simply walked imperiously forward, not evincing the slightest curiosity at the riffraff around her – myself included. She looked as if she felt she was the most important person in the world at that moment. And she was, for everyone who saw her. It was a sight I will never forget. Yet, though her self-confidence radiated into that southern California evening, she looked uncannily frail, almost small.
Whitney Elizabeth Houston, 48, died on the eve of the Grammy Awards, the music industry’s annual celebration of itself. The cause of her death is yet unknown, but it is certain to plunge her colleagues, friends, rivals and disciples into the kind of introspective mourning reserved only for the artists who have achieved the greatest success and become the victims of their great good fortune. Her voice, combined with her looks, made her one of the biggest stars on the planet. She set sales record after sales record. Her first major foray into the movie industry in The Bodyguard (1992) became a milestone in the issue (or non-issue) of race in casting (who could quarrel with her being the star?) and produced – or, as some critics would say, inflicted – a version of “I Will Always Love You” on the cosmos that will reverberate until its sound waves make contact with extraterrestrial intelligence. It was the range and power of her natural gifts that produced at the 1991 Super Bowl – with the U.S. 10 days into the first Gulf War – one of the most astonishing renditions of the Star Spangled Banner ever heard. The U.S. Air Force flying overhead became a mere afterthought to her renewal of the vigor of a song written in 1814. She was the voice of America.
The real-life Whitney Houston, however, was one of greater frailty than the superpower she manifested in her voice. She had been born to sing. Her mother was Cissy Houston, a soul and gospel performer who sang backup for Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson and Aretha Franklin. Whitney’s cousin was Dionne Warwick, one of the indelible voices of American pop. Whitney was herself singing in the choir in her hometown of Newark, N.J. at the age of 11. Her beauty led to an early modeling career but her vocal talents soon led to a contract with Arista Records and the producer Clive Davis, who would do more than anyone to shape her public image.
That image was of the gorgeous all-American girl who could belt ballads and dance tunes with equal ease. It was revolutionary in its way: that an African-American woman could embody that archetype as seamlessly as white women have in the past – at least in public. In the beginning, she was perfectly cast: glamorous and distant, with a voice that was warm even if the celebrity was unapproachable. She made you move; she made you want; she gave immediacy and voice to your instincts and emotions. But she was a goddess.
Beginning in 1985, that goddess would produce pop hit after pop hit at a time the record industry was at its height, in the years before iTunes: “You Give Good Love,” “Saving All My Love for You,” “How Will I Know,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me),” “I’m Your Baby Tonight,” “My Love Is Your Love” and countless others. Her covers of previous hits like “I’m Every Woman” by Chaka Khan and “I Will Always Love You” by Dolly Parton virtually overshadowed the originals.
In the end, the private Whitney Houston was in a hell that perhaps no one will fully plumb. It may be of some comfort that her travails are over. What will never be forgotten is the glory of her voice, the ease with which she projected it into the universe and the way she made us want to sing along, carried by its optimism and its promise – no matter how illusory it turned out to be. Every great artist knows the magic of defying reality and frailty. At her peak, Whitney Houston was the greatest enchantress.
Obama to Propose Community College Aid
By TAMAR LEWIN
President Obama on Monday will propose a $8 billion Community College to Career Fund, with the goal of training two million workers for well-paying jobs in high-demand industries, officials said.
The fund, which would need Congressional approval, would be administered jointly by the Departments of Labor and of Education. The money would be used to bolster partnerships between community colleges and businesses to train workers in areas like health care, transportation and advanced manufacturing.
In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama called for a national commitment to help create an economy built to last by training two million workers with skills that will lead directly to a job.
Mr. Obama has for years sought to expand resources for community colleges, the main source of education and job training for most low-income Americans. In the “American Graduation Initiative” he announced in 2009, Mr. Obama proposed to bolster the work force by producing millions more community college graduates over the next decade. But instead of the $10 billion for community colleges that the administration’s original plan called for, community colleges got just $2 billion for job training.
The new fund, to be announced at an event at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Virginia, would support community college-based training programs that will expand training to meet the needs of employers in high-growth sectors; provide workers with the latest certified training and skills; and invest in registered apprenticeships and other on-the-job training opportunities.
The fund would also support paid internships for low-income community college students that will allow them to simultaneously earn credit for work-based learning and gain relevant employment experience.
Under the proposal, states would also be able to seek money to support employer efforts to improve the skills of their workforce. The fund would provide support for regional or national industry sectors to identify pressing workforce needs and develop solutions like the standardization of industry certifications, development of new training technologies and collaborations with industry employers to define and describe how skills can translate to career pathways.
President Obama on Monday will propose a $8 billion Community College to Career Fund, with the goal of training two million workers for well-paying jobs in high-demand industries, officials said.
The fund, which would need Congressional approval, would be administered jointly by the Departments of Labor and of Education. The money would be used to bolster partnerships between community colleges and businesses to train workers in areas like health care, transportation and advanced manufacturing.
In his State of the Union address, Mr. Obama called for a national commitment to help create an economy built to last by training two million workers with skills that will lead directly to a job.
Mr. Obama has for years sought to expand resources for community colleges, the main source of education and job training for most low-income Americans. In the “American Graduation Initiative” he announced in 2009, Mr. Obama proposed to bolster the work force by producing millions more community college graduates over the next decade. But instead of the $10 billion for community colleges that the administration’s original plan called for, community colleges got just $2 billion for job training.
The new fund, to be announced at an event at Northern Virginia Community College in Annandale, Virginia, would support community college-based training programs that will expand training to meet the needs of employers in high-growth sectors; provide workers with the latest certified training and skills; and invest in registered apprenticeships and other on-the-job training opportunities.
The fund would also support paid internships for low-income community college students that will allow them to simultaneously earn credit for work-based learning and gain relevant employment experience.
Under the proposal, states would also be able to seek money to support employer efforts to improve the skills of their workforce. The fund would provide support for regional or national industry sectors to identify pressing workforce needs and develop solutions like the standardization of industry certifications, development of new training technologies and collaborations with industry employers to define and describe how skills can translate to career pathways.
Jacob Lew defends Obama’s spending plan
The Washington Post
White House Chief of Staff Jacob J. Lew on Sunday dismissed Republican criticism of President Obama’s latest spending plan, arguing that it charts a long-term strategy for tackling the national debt while offering a short-term boost to the recovering economy.
The budget request, due on Capitol Hill on Monday, calls for spending $3.8 trillion in 2013, according to sources with knowledge of the document, including fresh increases for roads, infrastructure, manufacturing and education, as well as a year-long extension of emergency unemployment benefits and a temporary payroll tax holiday.
The White House says those investments would “construct an economy that is built to last.” But they would also keep annual budget deficits above or hovering near $1 trillion for a fifth straight year.
Congressional Republicans seized upon the deficit projections when they were released Friday, noting that Obama has failed to keep a 2009 promise to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. The 2009 deficit was $1.4 trillion; Obama is projecting a $1.33 trillion deficit this year and a $901 billion budget gap in 2013.
During appearances on all five major Sunday talk shows, Lew, who served until recently as Obama’s budget director, refused to acknowledge that lapse, arguing that Obama had been forced to take expensive action to shore up an economy in far worse shape than anyone had imagined. While debt-reduction remains a top priority for the president, Lew said, it would be a mistake to cut too much too fast.
“The American people should be pleased that we now have a recovery that’s taking root,” Lew said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “The thing that we have to be careful about is to make sure that Washington doesn’t get in the way.”
Obama is set to unveil his 2013 spending plan Monday morning on the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College, a venue chosen to highlight his proposed investments in a skilled workforce. The event kicks off an election-year budget season important primarily as a forum for drawing a contrast between Obama and his low-tax, small-government Republican opponents. Senate Democratic leaders have said they have no intention of adopting a budget this year.
Obama’s spending plan, which mirrors recommendations he made in September to the congressional debt-reduction “supercommittee,” would lead to significantly lower deficits in the years ahead, according to White House officials, and would trim future borrowing by more than $4 trillion over the next decade. That sum includes an agreement last summer to cut $1 trillion from agency budgets.
Of the new savings, $1.5 trillion would come from higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy, including the expiration of the George W. Bush tax cuts on income over $250,000 a year. An additional $278 billion would come from a hodgepodge of cost-saving maneuvers, such as charging higher premiums for federal pension insurance, asking federal workers to contribute more to their own retirement and cutting federal farm subsidies. About $850 billion would come from capping spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, though about $200 billion of those savings would be redirected to new road and rail projects.
Republicans have blasted Obama’s decision to count war savings, arguing that he never intended to spend that money. The gimmick is just one of many Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee said they expect to see when the president’s budget is presented Monday. Judging from information the White House has already released, GOP aides said, Obama is also assuming that policymakers will “magically” find $400 billion to prevent a sharp cut in reimbursements to doctors who see Medicare patients.
Lew on Sunday defended the war savings as “very real.”
“I guarantee you that if we don’t take the action that’s been proposed, there will be leakage,” he said, “and that money will end up being spent.”
An additional $360 billion would come from trimming spending on federal health programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, the biggest drivers of future borrowing. Those savings would come primarily from cuts to providers, including drug companies, rather than the sort of broad restructuring that many analysts say will be necessary to control costs.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has criticized Obama for failing to offer a long-term cost-control strategy, such as his proposal to privatize Medicare for future retirees, which has come under fierce attack by Democrats.
Ryan declined to say whether his Medicare proposal would remain in the budget blueprint he is expected to unveil next month, or whether he would replace it with a new privatization approach that would preserve a government-run health program for the elderly and has garnered bipartisan support.
Either way, Ryan said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” “We’re taking responsibility for dealing with the drivers of our debt. You have to remember, George, that Medicare is going bankrupt. . . . I think it’s irresponsible not to” propose solutions.
Lew defended Obama’s approach to deficit reduction, arguing that his spending blueprint would achieve the widely held goal of $4 trillion in savings over the next decade, stabilize borrowing and leave the debt elevated but no longer growing as a percentage of the economy.
And he called on Congress to break a political impasse over the payroll tax holiday that threatens to raise taxes for 160 million Americans at the end of the month, delivering a blow to the nascent economic recovery.
“I hope Congress can do the job and get it done, and that we can start to keep the wind at our backs instead of becoming part of the problem,” he said.
White House Chief of Staff Jacob J. Lew on Sunday dismissed Republican criticism of President Obama’s latest spending plan, arguing that it charts a long-term strategy for tackling the national debt while offering a short-term boost to the recovering economy.
The budget request, due on Capitol Hill on Monday, calls for spending $3.8 trillion in 2013, according to sources with knowledge of the document, including fresh increases for roads, infrastructure, manufacturing and education, as well as a year-long extension of emergency unemployment benefits and a temporary payroll tax holiday.
The White House says those investments would “construct an economy that is built to last.” But they would also keep annual budget deficits above or hovering near $1 trillion for a fifth straight year.
Congressional Republicans seized upon the deficit projections when they were released Friday, noting that Obama has failed to keep a 2009 promise to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. The 2009 deficit was $1.4 trillion; Obama is projecting a $1.33 trillion deficit this year and a $901 billion budget gap in 2013.
During appearances on all five major Sunday talk shows, Lew, who served until recently as Obama’s budget director, refused to acknowledge that lapse, arguing that Obama had been forced to take expensive action to shore up an economy in far worse shape than anyone had imagined. While debt-reduction remains a top priority for the president, Lew said, it would be a mistake to cut too much too fast.
“The American people should be pleased that we now have a recovery that’s taking root,” Lew said on NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “The thing that we have to be careful about is to make sure that Washington doesn’t get in the way.”
Obama is set to unveil his 2013 spending plan Monday morning on the Annandale campus of Northern Virginia Community College, a venue chosen to highlight his proposed investments in a skilled workforce. The event kicks off an election-year budget season important primarily as a forum for drawing a contrast between Obama and his low-tax, small-government Republican opponents. Senate Democratic leaders have said they have no intention of adopting a budget this year.
Obama’s spending plan, which mirrors recommendations he made in September to the congressional debt-reduction “supercommittee,” would lead to significantly lower deficits in the years ahead, according to White House officials, and would trim future borrowing by more than $4 trillion over the next decade. That sum includes an agreement last summer to cut $1 trillion from agency budgets.
Of the new savings, $1.5 trillion would come from higher taxes on corporations and the wealthy, including the expiration of the George W. Bush tax cuts on income over $250,000 a year. An additional $278 billion would come from a hodgepodge of cost-saving maneuvers, such as charging higher premiums for federal pension insurance, asking federal workers to contribute more to their own retirement and cutting federal farm subsidies. About $850 billion would come from capping spending on the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, though about $200 billion of those savings would be redirected to new road and rail projects.
Republicans have blasted Obama’s decision to count war savings, arguing that he never intended to spend that money. The gimmick is just one of many Republicans on the Senate Budget Committee said they expect to see when the president’s budget is presented Monday. Judging from information the White House has already released, GOP aides said, Obama is also assuming that policymakers will “magically” find $400 billion to prevent a sharp cut in reimbursements to doctors who see Medicare patients.
Lew on Sunday defended the war savings as “very real.”
“I guarantee you that if we don’t take the action that’s been proposed, there will be leakage,” he said, “and that money will end up being spent.”
An additional $360 billion would come from trimming spending on federal health programs, such as Medicare and Medicaid, the biggest drivers of future borrowing. Those savings would come primarily from cuts to providers, including drug companies, rather than the sort of broad restructuring that many analysts say will be necessary to control costs.
House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) has criticized Obama for failing to offer a long-term cost-control strategy, such as his proposal to privatize Medicare for future retirees, which has come under fierce attack by Democrats.
Ryan declined to say whether his Medicare proposal would remain in the budget blueprint he is expected to unveil next month, or whether he would replace it with a new privatization approach that would preserve a government-run health program for the elderly and has garnered bipartisan support.
Either way, Ryan said Sunday on ABC’s “This Week With George Stephanopoulos,” “We’re taking responsibility for dealing with the drivers of our debt. You have to remember, George, that Medicare is going bankrupt. . . . I think it’s irresponsible not to” propose solutions.
Lew defended Obama’s approach to deficit reduction, arguing that his spending blueprint would achieve the widely held goal of $4 trillion in savings over the next decade, stabilize borrowing and leave the debt elevated but no longer growing as a percentage of the economy.
And he called on Congress to break a political impasse over the payroll tax holiday that threatens to raise taxes for 160 million Americans at the end of the month, delivering a blow to the nascent economic recovery.
“I hope Congress can do the job and get it done, and that we can start to keep the wind at our backs instead of becoming part of the problem,” he said.
Russia to Keep Supporting Syria at UN
The Moscow Times
Syrian forces bombarded Homs on Saturday in a campaign to crush a revolt against President Bashar Assad, whose ally Russia said it would not support an Arab peace plan circulating at the United Nations.
Activists said seven people were killed in the latest attacks in a weeklong government siege of Homs, which has been at the heart of the uprising that broke out 11 months ago.
The bloodshed followed Friday's violence, when bombings targeting security bases killed at least 28 people in Aleppo and rebel fighters battled troops in a Damascus suburb after dark.
Assad has ignored repeated international appeals, the latest from the European Union, to halt his crackdown.
"I condemn in the strongest terms these acts perpetrated by the Syrian regime against its own civilians," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.
However, the world is deeply divided over how to end the conflict. A week ago, Russia and China vetoed a draft Security Council resolution sponsored by Western and Arab states that backed an Arab League call for Assad to step down.
With Syria in worsening turmoil, Saudi Arabia has circulated a new draft for the General Assembly similar to the earlier one.
But Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Saturday that Russia could not support a move at the General Assembly resting on "the same unbalanced draft resolution text."
Arab Gulf states, the United States, Europe and Turkey hope diplomacy can force Assad out and have ruled out military action of the kind that helped oust Libya's Moammar Gadhafi last year.
The General Assembly is due to discuss Syria on Monday and vote later in the week on the draft resolution, which "fully supports" an Arab League plan floated last month.
Syria is Russia's last remaining ally in the Middle East, and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday that his government will thwart any attempts by the West and major Arab powers to oust Assad by using a UN resolution.
"If our foreign partners don't understand that, we will have to use strong means again and again to call them back to reality," he was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass.
On Friday, Russian lawmakers also supported shielding Assad's regime from international sanctions.
The State Duma unanimously passed a statement warning against foreign military intervention in Syria and accusing the West and Arab nations of planning regime change there.
Alexei Pushkov, head of the Duma's Committee on Foreign Affairs, said Russia strongly opposes what he called another military "operation to promote democracy."
Just before the legislative session began, he said: "We are against using humanitarian reasons to change the regime."
The Duma's statement emphasized that the Security Council must not side with the opposition in Syria's internal conflict by demanding that Assad's regime step down.
The Arab League will meet in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the idea of a joint Arab-UN monitoring mission for Syria.
Ayham Kamel, a Eurasia Group analyst, said the previous Russian and Chinese vetoes showed that change in Syria is not imminent. Because rebel forces lack structure and a unified command, Assad will keep the military edge but find it hard to crush the revolt, he said.
"In the next few months, Syria will transition from civil conflict into civil war. Assad's power and control over the country will diminish, and civilian casualties on both sides are expected to rise," Kamel said.
Syrian forces bombarded Homs on Saturday in a campaign to crush a revolt against President Bashar Assad, whose ally Russia said it would not support an Arab peace plan circulating at the United Nations.
Activists said seven people were killed in the latest attacks in a weeklong government siege of Homs, which has been at the heart of the uprising that broke out 11 months ago.
The bloodshed followed Friday's violence, when bombings targeting security bases killed at least 28 people in Aleppo and rebel fighters battled troops in a Damascus suburb after dark.
Assad has ignored repeated international appeals, the latest from the European Union, to halt his crackdown.
"I condemn in the strongest terms these acts perpetrated by the Syrian regime against its own civilians," EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton said.
However, the world is deeply divided over how to end the conflict. A week ago, Russia and China vetoed a draft Security Council resolution sponsored by Western and Arab states that backed an Arab League call for Assad to step down.
With Syria in worsening turmoil, Saudi Arabia has circulated a new draft for the General Assembly similar to the earlier one.
But Deputy Foreign Minister Gennady Gatilov said Saturday that Russia could not support a move at the General Assembly resting on "the same unbalanced draft resolution text."
Arab Gulf states, the United States, Europe and Turkey hope diplomacy can force Assad out and have ruled out military action of the kind that helped oust Libya's Moammar Gadhafi last year.
The General Assembly is due to discuss Syria on Monday and vote later in the week on the draft resolution, which "fully supports" an Arab League plan floated last month.
Syria is Russia's last remaining ally in the Middle East, and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday that his government will thwart any attempts by the West and major Arab powers to oust Assad by using a UN resolution.
"If our foreign partners don't understand that, we will have to use strong means again and again to call them back to reality," he was quoted as saying by Itar-Tass.
On Friday, Russian lawmakers also supported shielding Assad's regime from international sanctions.
The State Duma unanimously passed a statement warning against foreign military intervention in Syria and accusing the West and Arab nations of planning regime change there.
Alexei Pushkov, head of the Duma's Committee on Foreign Affairs, said Russia strongly opposes what he called another military "operation to promote democracy."
Just before the legislative session began, he said: "We are against using humanitarian reasons to change the regime."
The Duma's statement emphasized that the Security Council must not side with the opposition in Syria's internal conflict by demanding that Assad's regime step down.
The Arab League will meet in Cairo on Sunday to discuss the idea of a joint Arab-UN monitoring mission for Syria.
Ayham Kamel, a Eurasia Group analyst, said the previous Russian and Chinese vetoes showed that change in Syria is not imminent. Because rebel forces lack structure and a unified command, Assad will keep the military edge but find it hard to crush the revolt, he said.
"In the next few months, Syria will transition from civil conflict into civil war. Assad's power and control over the country will diminish, and civilian casualties on both sides are expected to rise," Kamel said.
President Obama will present his 2013 budget plan Monday
When President Barack Obama rolls out his 2013 budget proposal Monday, it's likely to unleash another round of political finger-pointing on Capitol Hill.
The White House bills the document as a "blueprint for how we can rebuild an economy where hard work pays off and responsibility is rewarded."
While the White House and Democrats are advocating a balanced approach to economic growth -- including spending cuts, increased tax revenue and investments in rebuilding infrastructure such as highways and bridges, Republicans will argue for deeper spending cuts and lower tax rates.
Both sides contend that their positions will bring the economic growth needed to stimulate significant reductions in the federal deficit and rising national debt.
The Obama budget proposal will project that the deficit for fiscal year 2012 will top $1.3 trillion, before falling in 2013 to $901 billion, or 5.5% of gross domestic product.
By 2022, the deficit is forecast to fall to $704 billion, or 2.8% of GDP, according to the White House.
Anti-government protesters in Morocco clash with security forces
Anti-government protests have turned violent in some cities of Morocco, with security forces engaging in fierce clashes with the demonstrators, Press TV reports.
Brief scuffles also broke out between protesters and government forces in the northern city of Casablanca, where demonstrates surrounded a police car and forced it to leave the site. Protests in the cities of Fes, Meknes and Tangiers were relatively peaceful.
The protesters condemned the newly-formed government of Prime Minister Abdelilah Benkirane, saying it is “comprised of mafia members.”
The pro-reform and anti-corruption demonstrations in Morocco have continued since February 2011 despite the introduction of a number of reforms by King Mohammed VI which were approved in a referendum in July 2011.
Moroccans believe the reforms launched by the king have failed to deliver the desired results.
Bahrain tense ahead of planned protests
Bahrain has deployed thousands of security forces to confront anti-government protesters ahead of the first anniversary of the start of a Shia-led uprising that seeks to loosen the ruling Sunni dynasty's monopoly on power.
Opposition groups urged demonstrators to stream towards an empty area dubbed "Freedom Square" outside the capital, Manama.
Some activists seek to occupy the site before Tuesday's anniversary of the start of the wave of protests, and turn it into a new semi-permanent hub for the uprising.
The central Manama roundabout was the opposition's headquarters during the first weeks of the Shia majority's campaign against the Sunni monarchy.
Sporadic clashes
Authorities imposed martial law after security forces stormed the protesters' encampment at the landmark square, and later tore down the pearl sculpture that marked the site.
The now heavily guarded square holds great symbolic value for Bahrain's opposition movement, and protesters have repeatedly tried to retake it. But the capital has largely been off limits to demonstrators since March.
Street battles between security forces and protesters still flare up almost every day in the predominantly Shia villages around the capital.
Bahrain's ruling Sunni monarchy has warned it would not tolerate a rise in protests to mark the anniversary. Sporadic clashes occurred on Sunday with police firing tear gas.
The island's King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa said last year's events were regrettable, although he downplayed the severity of the threat the protests had posed to the 200-year-old-rule of the Sunni dynasty.
The king says that a massive opposition movement does not really exist in the country.
"I regret the events of the past year,'' he told the German weekly Der Spiegel in an interview that was published on Sunday.
"But there is no opposition in Bahrain, not in the sense of a united bloc. Such a thing is not in our constitution. There are just people with different views, and that is good."Villages under 'siege'
Shias account for about 70 per cent of Bahrain's population of some 525,000 people, but say they have faced decades of discrimination, such as being denied access to senior political and security posts.Bahrain's Sunni rulers have taken steps on reforms, including relinquishing more powers to parliament. In an announcement early on Monday, Bahrain's king named a Shia, Sadok bin Abdulkarim al-Shehabi, as health minister.
The health position is significant because Bahrain's main hospital figured prominently during the early weeks of the uprising with authorities claiming medical staff aided demonstrators. Dozens of doctors and nurses have been put on trial.
The government, however, has so far refused to make the far-reaching changes the protesters and the main Shia group, Al Wefaq, the country's largest opposition party, have demanded.These include ending the monarchy's ability to select the government and set all-important state policies.
Al Wefaq criticised the authorities for imposing "a siege" on the villages around Manama ahead of the first anniversary of Bahrain's "revolution".
Its statement on Sunday said police have stormed houses and fired tear gas indiscriminately in densely populated civilian areas. There were no reports of injuries, but Al Wefaq said several people have been detained.
At least 40 people have been killed during months of unprecedented political unrest in Bahrain, the Gulf country hardest hit by unrest during last year's Arab Spring protests.
Neighbouring Saudi Arabia and other Sunni-ruled Gulf states dispatched troops to Bahrain in March to help quell the protests.
In another tightening of policies, the official Bahrain News Agency said the kingdom will now demand prior visa approval for many nations that had been allowed to obtain entry stamps upon arrival, including the US and other Western countries.
The move follows the deportation on Sunday of two American activists accused of joining protests after entering on tourist visas.
Bahrain Youths and Police Clash
Riot police officers in Bahrain battled youths who threw gasoline bombs on Sunday as violence escalated ahead of the Feb. 14 anniversary of an uprising last year.
Teenagers blocked off streets in the village of Sanabis, near the capital, Manama, taunting the police as “cowards” and “mercenaries” because some are thought to be Pakistani or Yemeni immigrants. One youth lobbed four gasoline bombs toward a group of police officers, who responded with a volley of percussion grenades and tear gas.
Shops were mostly locked up in the district. Many roads were blocked, and buildings covered with antigovernment graffiti.
Bahrainis, mostly from the Shiite majority, took to the streets last February, inspired by the uprisings in other Arab countries, but the Sunni monarchy imposed martial law and stamped out the unrest in March with the help of Saudi and Persian Gulf troops.
Demonstrations resumed again after the emergency law was lifted in June and have recently escalated as the anniversary of the 2011 protests nears.
Bahrain is an ally of the United States and home base to the Fifth Fleet, which patrols the gulf.
Long Neglected, Camps in Kabul Get a Deluge of Aid
By ROD NORDLAND
The 6,000 refugees living in the Charahi Qambar camp did not object when American soldiers came by Saturday to deliver 1,100 blankets for the families there. Nor did they mention that the day before, an Afghan aid group, Aschiana, had also made a delivery of blankets, and was planning to come back on Sunday with clothing — at least the third such donation in a few days, the others coming from businessmen.
And two Afghan aid groups financed by the German government brought about $187,000 worth of charcoal, milk and hot water bottles on Sunday, while the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees planned to give each family three more blankets on Thursday.
The Charahi Qambar site is one of the camps where shortages of food and fuel have led to young children dying of the cold during severe weather over the past month, and news coverage of the deaths has galvanized the aid community and the government here, as well as donors abroad. There are 40 camps in Kabul housing repatriated refugees and other displaced Afghans.
But the response has been chaotic and disorganized, with some camps receiving little aid and others being deluged with duplicated aid. “We don’t know who’s done what and where; it’s mad,” said Federico Motka, whose organization, Welthungerhilfe, a German aid group, has had a long-term presence in the camps.
“We have to do something about the duplication,” acknowledged Mehr Khuda Sabar, an official with the Afghan government’s disaster relief and development agency.
Much of the disorganization is a result of many new agencies joining the effort that had not worked in the camps before, said Aidan O’Leary, the head of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. “People are anxious to do something and that’s all very, very positive,” he said.
Despite the Afghan government’s early skepticism that any children were dying of the cold, last week President Hamid Karzai asked embassies and donors to provide emergency aid. Relief agencies that had previously not been involved rushed out winter emergency programs, including the United States. Emissaries of the Afghan president visited Sayid Mohammad, a father who recently lost the eighth of his nine children, this one to the cold, promising to bring him to the presidential palace for an audience, Mr. Mohammad said.
On Sunday, two deaths were reported in the Parwan-e-Do camp, housing refugees from northern Baghlan Province, as were two more in the Parwan-e-Se camp. The victims were all 2 or younger, according to the parents and camp leaders. In all, The New York Times has confirmed the deaths of 28 children in the camps since mid-January.
Charitable groups working in the camps confirmed a major increase in donations. “People are writing from all over the country wanting to send their winter clothing and baby sweaters, etc. to us,” said John Bradley, head of the Lamia Afghan Foundation in the United States, which moved quickly to deliver warm clothing it had already shipped to Afghanistan on military transports. The Afghan aid group Aschiana, which has the largest full-time presence in the camps, reported raising more than $17,000 in a few days from small donors in the United States through its American branch.
Individual Afghans pitched in as well. Ramazan Bashardost, a member of Parliament and well-known gadfly, visited the Nasaji Bagrami Camp, where 16 children died of cold, and handed out 1,000 Afghanis (about $20) to each of the 250 families there. He was shocked by the conditions of the tent-and-mud-hut camps, most of them within Kabul and many next to comparatively well-off neighborhoods. “It is not a life for a human, it is a life for animals,” he said.
The turnabout among government and international agencies was drastic, though all had explanations for why they had not previously paid attention to the camps. The United Nations refugee agency said it had focused on providing winter aid to 200,000 people in rural and remote areas. The World Food Program said its Kabul programs targeted the most vulnerable: widows and disabled people. And the American military does not normally distribute humanitarian aid in the camps; this one, however, was organized by the chaplain’s office at headquarters in Kabul.
The United States aid agency, U.S.A.I.D., by far the largest aid donor in Afghanistan, said that its winter efforts in have been in remote areas like Badakhshan Province, where winters are very harsh. “Being prepared for a disaster is one of the most difficult things to do,” said S. Ken Yamashita, the agency’s director in Afghanistan, “because by definition you do not know when a disaster will strike.”
Mr. Yamashita declined to say where those distributions would take place because the groups providing aid on behalf of the agency did not want it known in which camps they were working. In addition, he confirmed that the aid was not being identified as coming from the United States, in case it might pose some risk or discomfort to the recipients.
Lane Hartill, a spokesman for Save the Children, which delivered some of the American agency’s assistance on Saturday, said the organization preferred to distribute aid without identifying the source. “Our ability to provide help in a place like Afghanistan relies on us being neutral and being perceived as neutral,” Mr. Hartill said.
Aid groups with experience in the camps found the extra attention a mixed blessing. Mr. Motka, with the German aid group, said the increased donations had enabled his organization to schedule a second distribution of firewood to all the residents in 17 camps, which should take place in the next few days and should get them through until March.
On the other hand, he said, he was concerned that focusing on the humanitarian emergency would distract attention from the need for long-term solutions, such as finding the displaced Afghans land and adequate housing.
The outpouring of aid “will keep them alive,” Mr. O’Leary, of the United Nations, said. “But we can’t afford to lose sight that there has to be a better solution going forward, so we are not dealing with this situation every time winter comes about.”
Aid workers in the camps were confident that the worst of the crisis was past. “It is enough now that no more children will die,” said Mohammad Zahir Haslam, who was supervising the German charcoal aid delivery.
Many of the camp residents said they were not so sure. Mr. Mohammad, whose 3-month-old son, Khan, died Wednesday, was contemptuous of the clothing distribution he received from the Afghan Red Crescent — much of it consisting of thin scarves and summer blouses, some so gossamer they were culturally inappropriate, and none very warm.
With many of his neighbors, Mr. Mohammad spent Sunday worrying about another snowstorm, currently under way and expected to last through Monday, with temperatures predicted to drop even lower — to 5 degrees Fahrenheit — than the historic lows of the past month.
“What can we do?” Mr. Mohammad asked. He did not mention that he and everyone else in the camp had just received a bag of the German charcoal; on the other hand, they apparently had little or no food.
Conspiracy against democracy to be thwarted
APP
The Khyber Pakthunkhwa Senior Minister and PPP leader, Rahimdad Khan said here on Sunday that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was the custodian of Constitution, democracy and will foil all conspiracies against democratic system in the country.
Talking to APP on phone, he said PPP has a long history of sacrifices for the rule of law, democracy, constitutional supremacy and protection of people’s rights and will protect constitution and democracy whatever the situation may arise in future.
He said the PPP had always considered people as the real power and with their support, all conspiracies, being hatched against democracy, would be frustrated.
Quaid-e- Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had sacrificed their lives but did not compromise on the rights of the people, he said, adding that it was Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who gave a unanimous Constitution to the country that had kept the country intact.
The government, while following the footsteps of Quaid-e-Awam and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto has restored the Constitution in its original form and worked for independence of judiciary.
The PPP leader said that Asif Ali Zardari was the only President, who returned his powers back to the parliament.
He said that President Zardari has raised the slogan of ‘Pakistan Khapay’ at a critical time when the people were furious and enraged after the martyrdom of Shaheed Jamahoriat Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
“Whenever PPP was given the government, the country was confronted with enormous challenges. However, with the grace of Almighty Allah, our party had worked vigorously by addressing all issues during its tenure with the support of masses,” he maintained.
The NFC Award, 18th Amendment, FATA reforms, peace in Swat, Benazir Income Support Programme, Islamabad High Court, Balochistan and FATA packages, renaming the NWFP as Khyber Pakthunkhwa, poverty alleviation programme under the BISP and provincial autonomy etc are of the few major achievements of the government.
He said PPP will continue to work for welfare and prosperity of people and will emerge successful in courts of people in 2013 elections. He said if some body wants early election they should approach to Government.
The Minister said that government will complete its tenure and Senate election would be held on time. He said there would be no clash between state institutions if all work under its constitutional ambit. The Minister said that country could not afford political instability and time has come to support each others for sustainable democracy in Pakistan.
The Khyber Pakthunkhwa Senior Minister and PPP leader, Rahimdad Khan said here on Sunday that Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) was the custodian of Constitution, democracy and will foil all conspiracies against democratic system in the country.
Talking to APP on phone, he said PPP has a long history of sacrifices for the rule of law, democracy, constitutional supremacy and protection of people’s rights and will protect constitution and democracy whatever the situation may arise in future.
He said the PPP had always considered people as the real power and with their support, all conspiracies, being hatched against democracy, would be frustrated.
Quaid-e- Awam Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto had sacrificed their lives but did not compromise on the rights of the people, he said, adding that it was Shaheed Zulfikar Ali Bhutto who gave a unanimous Constitution to the country that had kept the country intact.
The government, while following the footsteps of Quaid-e-Awam and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto has restored the Constitution in its original form and worked for independence of judiciary.
The PPP leader said that Asif Ali Zardari was the only President, who returned his powers back to the parliament.
He said that President Zardari has raised the slogan of ‘Pakistan Khapay’ at a critical time when the people were furious and enraged after the martyrdom of Shaheed Jamahoriat Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto.
“Whenever PPP was given the government, the country was confronted with enormous challenges. However, with the grace of Almighty Allah, our party had worked vigorously by addressing all issues during its tenure with the support of masses,” he maintained.
The NFC Award, 18th Amendment, FATA reforms, peace in Swat, Benazir Income Support Programme, Islamabad High Court, Balochistan and FATA packages, renaming the NWFP as Khyber Pakthunkhwa, poverty alleviation programme under the BISP and provincial autonomy etc are of the few major achievements of the government.
He said PPP will continue to work for welfare and prosperity of people and will emerge successful in courts of people in 2013 elections. He said if some body wants early election they should approach to Government.
The Minister said that government will complete its tenure and Senate election would be held on time. He said there would be no clash between state institutions if all work under its constitutional ambit. The Minister said that country could not afford political instability and time has come to support each others for sustainable democracy in Pakistan.
Peshawar: Flower sellers expect huge business this V-Day
Flower sellers are impatiently waiting for the Valentine Day, to fall on February 14, with an expectation to earn huge business by selling colourful bouquets and flowers.
Flower sellers at the major markets of federal capital have already stocked tons of flowers especially the beautiful fragrant roses and illuminated their shops with ornaments.
The sellers usually place large number of orders to the nurseries for fresh stocks of red roses during the first week of February.
Sometimes they store the flowers in deep freezers a week ahead to keep them fresh and avoid shortage.
The shopkeepers have embellished their places with the stuff mostly red including balloons, teddy bears, cards, romantic poetry books and colourful ornaments and they keep chocolates and other items carved with the picture of heart and beautiful messages for the loved ones.
Zahid, a flower seller at Saddar Market said "Valentine’s Day is the biggest occasion for us to earn huge business and the best thing is that people who are in love, they don't argue to reduce the price and willingly pay the amount.
The current price of roses per dozen is Rs100 to Rs150 but it will increase manifold on Valentine's day. A single rose is sold for Rs100 on the Valentine Day, he added.
Khurram, another flower seller at Saddar market expressed fear that the rainy weather, if continues to prevail till V-Day, can impact the sales as buyers will be reluctant to visit the markets in cold weather conditions.
The trend of online shopping is also a threat for the shopkeepers on such days as it facilitate the buyers and they can buy bouquets or other gifts while sitting at their homes, he said.
V-Day is undoubtedly a blessing for the flower sellers in the capital as the day provides an opportunity to make grand sales even more than any other event like New Year and Eid.
Celebrations of Valentine day are not limited to any specific generation rather it is celebrated by all irrespective of age.
Although young lot celebrate this event enthusiastically but nowadays is becoming part of traditional occasions for all in most of the countries.
A tribute to Faiz’s ‘progressive’ spirit
The spirit of Faiz was celebrated at the Faiz Amn Mela on Sunday at the Open Air Theatre, Bagh-i-Jinnah where people from different walks of life assembled to a gathering that included poetry, music, songs and dance.
Return to progressive spirit: On the 101st birthday of revolutionary poet, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, the organising of the Faiz Amn Mela was returned to progressive political parties by the Faiz Foundation after last years’ PTV-sponsored centennial celebrations were criticised for being devoid of Faiz’s message. Left-wing political parties including the Workers Party, Awami Party and Labour Party Pakistan, left-wing student organisations National Student Federation and Progressive Youth Front and social activism organisations including the Labour Education Foundation, Women Workers Help Line, National Trade Union Federation and Faiz Foundation were part of the Faiz Amn Mela committee.
The event was scheduled to include a mushaira and a musical afternoon. Students, activists, famous artists and writers joined working class participants in offering tribute to the poet that gave voice to the aspirations of Pakistan’s working class and progressive activists.
The event: The mela kicked off at 130pm with a mushaira in which progressive poets from around Pakistan recited their own and Faiz’s poetry to the applause of the audience. Dr Khalid Javaid Jan, Baba Najmi, Rabia Shehzadi, Inayat Shah, Nazir Qaisar and Kawal Feroz were amongst the poets that read out their work.
The poetry recital was followed by musical
performances of Faiz Ahmed Faiz’s poetry that engaged the audience who danced and chanted slogans to each rhythm. Performing artists included Anayat Abid, Adeel Burki, Nida Faiz, Laal Band and Laliyan Group. Each singer paid tribute to the rich legacy of the poet of revolution and sang famous poems including mujh se pehli si muhabbat and hum daikhain ge.
Members of the Faiz family including Saleema Hashmi, Muneeza Hashmi and Dr Ali Hashmi were present on the occasion. Speaking on the occasion, Saleema Hashmi paid tribute to her father Faiz Ahmed Faiz. She read out Faiz’s famous poem, ‘Ye kon sakhi hain,’ written for the martyrs of the Irani revolution, and dedicated it to the Baloch martyrs and the Baloch missing persons. She also spoke about the weak financial situation her father suffered for his passion to serve the working classes. She said, “The legacy of Faiz belongs with you, the working class and those who struggle for it. It is you that keep Faiz’s work alive and relevant.”
Speaking after Adeel Burki’s uplifting performance, Labour Party spokesperson Farooq Tariq called for the audience to observe a minutes silence for the 20 killed women workers in the Kharak factory collapse a week earlier. After the silence was over, Farooq said, “The mela is dedicated to the factory workers that lost their lives. Faiz’s legacy is for them. Faiz’s words urge on workers to struggle against the oppression.” He said that the mela was also dedicated to the Baloch people and condemned the killing of Baloch ministers Domki’s wife and sister in Karachi. He said that the the mela calls for an end to the military operation in Balochistan. He also called for the release of jailed working class leaders of the Labour Qaumi Movement in Faisalabad and Progressive Youth Front activist Baba Jaan in Gilgit Baltistan.
The function last performance was a traditional Pakthun dance performance by Pakthunkhwa Student Organisation (PSO) activists who had come to attend the mela from Quetta. After which the Faiz Amn Mela Committee took to the stage and chanted, “Mazdoor ka Faiz, zinda hai! Kisaan ka Faiz, zinda hai!” (“The Faiz of workers is alive! The Faiz of farmers is alive!”)
The message: Talking to Pakistan Today¸ audience member Khadija Zahir said, “I came to the mela to remember Faiz, who is my favourite poet.” She said that Faiz’s choice to write about the working class and injustice showed his farsightedness as a poet. She said, “The principles for the progress of Pakistan lies in Faiz’s writings.”
Stalls were placed outside the Open Air Theatre where Faiz’s books and other progressive books were available. Stalls had also been set up by the National Student Federation and Labour Party to disseminate literature amongst visitors. Another stall set up by Institute of Peace and Secular Studies (IPSS) activists was able to collect 350 signatures on a petition to relax Pakistan India visa policy and promote the cause of peace.
The organising committee thanked the Faiz family for their support and commitment to progressive causes and for keeping alive Faiz’s legacy for Pakistan’s working class.
PPP has 5 options if PM is convicted
DAILY TIMES
The Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition government has evolved ‘star-strategy’ with five options to deal with any situation emerging out of an ‘unfavourable’ Supreme Court decision against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani today (Monday). It has decided to stick to its stance of ‘no apology, no excuse’ over reopening of corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
Gilani will personally appear before the apex court along with leaders of the coalition parties, the PPP sources confirmed. The coalition partners have ensured the PPP leadership that they would appear before the court along with the prime minister, party sources informed Daily Times on Sunday.
On last Friday, the Supreme Court had rejected Gilani’s appeal seeking to withdraw contempt of court charges, which the apex court levelled against him over his failure to reopen Swiss cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
The PM has a constitutional stance on the issue that the president enjoys immunity in the country and abroad so he will not write a letter to Swiss authorities in this regard.
If the court found the PM guilty of contempt charges, he may face disqualification from his office and membership of parliament and a jail sentence.
The party, with the consent of the coalition partners in the government, is in a position to nominate a new PM as it had several candidates within parliament, including Khursheed Shah, Makhdoom Amin Faheem, Ahmad Mukhtar and Makhdoom Shahbauddin, the sources further informed.
They said that the central leadership of the party had considered all five options about the court decision on the contempt issue with its coalition partners as well as the core team members and agreed to follow the star-strategy.
In the first step of the strategy, it was planned that the PM would not apologise to the court on his stance about writing a letter to the Swiss authorities in any case and if the court would convict him (PM), the PM would immediately announce his resignation from his office and the parliamentary membership while President Zardari will pardon him later and his punishment will be ended.
According to the second option, if the apex court convicts him, he would not resign from his office as he could continue his premiership in the jail too till his disqualification from the assembly and soon after the verdict of the court against Gilani, President Zardari would pardon the PM using his discretionary constitutional powers and remove his conviction.
Under the third option, if the court sends the PM to jail convicting him in the contempt case, National Assembly Speaker Fahmida Mirza will issue production orders and the prime minister will attend assembly session as its member.
The fourth option is that if a reference of disqualification is forwarded to the speaker, she would not forward it to the Election Commission and the PM could keep his membership till the end of the five-year term of the government.
The last and fifth option which was considered by the party is that after the conviction and resignation of Gilani in the case, a new PM would be announced from the PPP one after another - as it had 127 members in the National Assembly - sticking with the same stance of presidential immunity before the court, the sources said.
The Pakistan People’s Party-led coalition government has evolved ‘star-strategy’ with five options to deal with any situation emerging out of an ‘unfavourable’ Supreme Court decision against Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani today (Monday). It has decided to stick to its stance of ‘no apology, no excuse’ over reopening of corruption cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
Gilani will personally appear before the apex court along with leaders of the coalition parties, the PPP sources confirmed. The coalition partners have ensured the PPP leadership that they would appear before the court along with the prime minister, party sources informed Daily Times on Sunday.
On last Friday, the Supreme Court had rejected Gilani’s appeal seeking to withdraw contempt of court charges, which the apex court levelled against him over his failure to reopen Swiss cases against President Asif Ali Zardari.
The PM has a constitutional stance on the issue that the president enjoys immunity in the country and abroad so he will not write a letter to Swiss authorities in this regard.
If the court found the PM guilty of contempt charges, he may face disqualification from his office and membership of parliament and a jail sentence.
The party, with the consent of the coalition partners in the government, is in a position to nominate a new PM as it had several candidates within parliament, including Khursheed Shah, Makhdoom Amin Faheem, Ahmad Mukhtar and Makhdoom Shahbauddin, the sources further informed.
They said that the central leadership of the party had considered all five options about the court decision on the contempt issue with its coalition partners as well as the core team members and agreed to follow the star-strategy.
In the first step of the strategy, it was planned that the PM would not apologise to the court on his stance about writing a letter to the Swiss authorities in any case and if the court would convict him (PM), the PM would immediately announce his resignation from his office and the parliamentary membership while President Zardari will pardon him later and his punishment will be ended.
According to the second option, if the apex court convicts him, he would not resign from his office as he could continue his premiership in the jail too till his disqualification from the assembly and soon after the verdict of the court against Gilani, President Zardari would pardon the PM using his discretionary constitutional powers and remove his conviction.
Under the third option, if the court sends the PM to jail convicting him in the contempt case, National Assembly Speaker Fahmida Mirza will issue production orders and the prime minister will attend assembly session as its member.
The fourth option is that if a reference of disqualification is forwarded to the speaker, she would not forward it to the Election Commission and the PM could keep his membership till the end of the five-year term of the government.
The last and fifth option which was considered by the party is that after the conviction and resignation of Gilani in the case, a new PM would be announced from the PPP one after another - as it had 127 members in the National Assembly - sticking with the same stance of presidential immunity before the court, the sources said.
Asfandyar Wali backs government
ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali has said his party will remain in alliance with PPP government.
President Awami National Party (ANP), Asfandyar Wali has said that his party was, is and will remain ally of Pakistan Peoples Party.
Talking to media outside the Supreme Court here Monday he said, "there are no ifs and buts in politics and Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is our Prime Minister."
Gilani first Pakistan PM to be indicted by Supreme Court in contempt case
Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani was today indicted by the Pakistan Supreme Court on contempt charges for refusing to revive graft cases against President Asif Ali Zardari, a move that may force the beleaguered leader to quit.
Gilani, 59, the first Pakistani Prime Minister to be arraigned for contempt by the apex court, pleaded not guilty in the packed court room.
The court adjourned the hearing till February 27. At the commencement of the hearing Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk, who headed the seven-judge bench, read out the charge sheet and asked him whether he had gone through the charges against him and understood them.
To this, Gilani responded by saying, "Yes, I have read the charge sheet and have understood them."
The Prime Minister personally drove his white SUV from his official residence located at a short distance from the court and was assisted by a battery of lawyers.
The apex court last week rejected Gilani's appeal against the summons issued to him in the contempt case.
The premier has said that he would automatically be disqualified as a parliamentarian if he is convicted by the court.
The motorcade stopped on the road outside the court on a gloomy morning as heavy rains poured down.
On his arrival in the court, Gilani waved to the crowd outside as scores of heavily armed security personnel stood guard.
Authorities used a helicopter to mount surveillance as part of the special security measures put in place for Gilani's second appearance in court for the contempt case.
Gilani first appeared before the bench hearing the case on January 19 along with his lawyer, Aitzaz Ahsan, a senior leader of the ruling Pakistan People's Party and one of the country's leading legal minds.
"I am going to argue that the Prime Minister is not guilty... The court will tell us how it wants to proceed. Today the charges will be framed and after that the accused will be asked for his reaction and whether he accepts the charges," Ahsan told the media as he left his residence earlier this morning.
The apex court has been pressuring the government to reopen cases of alleged money laundering against Zardari in Switzerland since December 2009, when it struck down a graft amnesty issued by former military ruler Pervez Musharraf that benefited the President and over 8,000 others.
The PPP has been reluctant to act because top leaders believe any action on the cases in Switzerland could give the Supreme Court an opportunity to interpret the constitutional provision related to presidential immunity.
The court had said that USD 60 million that were allegedly laundered will come back to Pakistan only if the letter is written to Swiss authorities.
Legal experts have said Gilani could be imprisoned for six months if he is convicted and face possible disqualification.
However, reports have suggested that the President could pardon him after his possible conviction.Asked during an interview with Al-Jazeera if he would stand down on being convicted, Gilani said: "Certainly, then there is no need to step down. If I am convicted, then I'm not even supposed to be a member of parliament."
He reiterated that the President enjoyed complete immunity inside Pakistan and abroad.
Religious Affairs Minister Khursheed Shah, tipped as a possible replacement for the post of premier, told reporters that a decision will be made on writing a letter to the Swiss authorities by the PPP after the apex court gives its order and in line with the Constitution.
PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, a key ally of the PPP, said Gilani had already faced a prison term in the past.
He said he had suggested that the next premier should be from the PPP if Gilani is convicted.
ANP will remain ally of PPP: Asfandyar Wali
President Awami National Party (ANP), Asfandyar Wali has said that his party was, is and will remain ally of Pakistan Peoples Party.
Talking to media outside the Supreme Court here Monday he said, "there are no ifs and buts in politics and Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is our Prime Minister."
Talking to media outside the Supreme Court here Monday he said, "there are no ifs and buts in politics and Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani is our Prime Minister."
We are not scared of jails: Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari
Pakistan Today
In a series of messages on social networking website Twitter, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari emphasised that the PPP was not scared of jails, a private TV channel reported on Sunday. Bakhtawar tweeted, “People cry over immunity but forgot my father spent 11 and a half years in prison without a single conviction. Jails don’t scare us.” She went on to tweet that her grandfather, mother, father and the present prime minister had all been to prison and fought in every court. “The PPP is not a party of cowards. We are a party of fighters and martyrs because we believe in a democratic Pakistan” she tweeted.
In a series of messages on social networking website Twitter, Bakhtawar Bhutto Zardari emphasised that the PPP was not scared of jails, a private TV channel reported on Sunday. Bakhtawar tweeted, “People cry over immunity but forgot my father spent 11 and a half years in prison without a single conviction. Jails don’t scare us.” She went on to tweet that her grandfather, mother, father and the present prime minister had all been to prison and fought in every court. “The PPP is not a party of cowards. We are a party of fighters and martyrs because we believe in a democratic Pakistan” she tweeted.
PM Yusuf Raza Gilani charged with contempt in case that could drag on
Supreme Court charged the embattled prime minister with contempt of court on Monday for his refusal to re-open old corruption cases against the head of his political party, President Asif Ali Zardari.
If convicted, Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani could be forced to step down and face up to six months in jail. The case, which has raised tension between Pakistan's civilian leaders and the Supreme Court, could drag on and paralyse decision-making.
Local television channels flashed the news less than half an hour after Gilani arrived at the courthouse. He pleaded not guilty.
The civilian-judicial confrontation stems from thousands of old corruption cases thrown out in 2007 by an amnesty law passed under former military president Pervez Musharraf.
Zardari is its most prominent beneficiary and the main target of the court, which voided the law in 2009 and ordered the re-opening of cases accusing the president of money laundering using Swiss bank accounts.
Gilani and his advisers have refused to ask the Swiss to reopen the cases. The prime minister had appealed against the court's decision to charge him with contempt, but on Friday that appeal was dismissed, paving the way for today's indictment.
"The prime minister's actions reek of protecting the president over our system of democracy," the Express Tribune said in an editorial.
"Even if the president's immunity is upheld, it will no longer be applicable once he is out of office and in that eventuality there may be no legal or constitutional hitch in preventing the Supreme Court from going ahead on this issue."
It was a view widely held by many other newspapers and analysts, who largely hail the Supreme Court's actions as a badly needed advance for the rule of law and accountability in Pakistan, where corruption tops the list of most opinion polls as the country's biggest problem.
US concerned about rights abuses in Balochistan
The Express Tribune
Insisting that the US administration’s stance remains unchanged vis-à-vis Balochistan, US Ambassador Cameron Munter asserted on Sunday that “there is no doubt that people in Balochistan are facing human rights abuses”.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Express, the top US diplomat in Pakistan said that his country was concerned at the human rights situation in Balochistan and the US administration should take up the ‘alarming issue’ with Pakistani leaders.
“This is an important issue for us to be discussing with the Pakistani government. But we don’t want to go beyond that, in a manner that might be destabilising to any part.”
Munter’s statement came days after Pakistan’s Ambassador in Washington Sherry Rehman called a US Congressional hearing on Balochistan as an “ill-advised move that would be detrimental to the trust between Pakistan and the US.”
However, Munter reassured that the Congressional hearing did not reflect a change in the US official policy. “US government’s stance is very clear; we have not changed our position,” he said.
“We are always concerned, not just in Balochistan, but all around the world on issues that have to do with human rights. And let’s be honest there are human rights issues in Balochistan.”
Emphasising on the fact that the debate did not mean much in terms of policy making, he stated: “Debate in the Congress is an open debate, people can say what they want but our government’s position remains unchanged.
“The Congress is not controlled by our government. We welcome any discussion about the future of your country. Its means that if people are interested in human rights situation of Balochistan, then that should be talked about in public.”
The Salala attack
Recalling the ‘very tragic’ incident of November 26, 2011 when US-led Isaf forces ‘accidentally’ killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers, Munter said Islamabad was ‘understandably’ upset with Washington.
“There has been a pause in Pakistan-US relationship after the very tragic incident in Salala in which Nato troops accidently killed some soldiers. A terrible accident which we regret and Pakistan is understandably upset,” said Munter.
“(Pakistani) parliament will be debating this issue next week. Since the Salala attack, we have not had that extant of contact with Pakistan about issues like the Afghan reconciliation that we would like to.
“However, we are committed to sharing all this information with Pakistan. Once we have this debate in your Parliament, we want to reengage as soon as Pakistan wants.”
Appreciating the efforts of the Pakistani military in fighting militants, Munter said: “We hope that, the efforts made by the Pakistani military, which are significant, will continue to be successful.
“We have nothing but the greatest respect for the Pakistani Army. Hence, we want to ensure good contacts over the border between Isaf and them to avoid terrible incidents like Salala.”
Regarding peace talks with Afghanistan, the US ambassador said: “We want to see an Afghan-led process to bring peace to Afghanistan and the good news is America and Pakistan agree on this.
The Qatar initiative
Stressing on the need to keep a direct contact with the Afghan government to ensure a timely end to the more than a decade-long war, Munter said: “We were delighted when Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar went to Kabul and had a successful meeting. This kind of contact is very important.
“There are issues that Pakistan and Afghanistan need to work on together. I think Pakistan can support the dialogue process in Qatar.
“Pakistan will always be included in that process. People in Afghanistan realise that they need to have a process that includes Pakistan.”
Stressing on the geo-political importance of the country he added: “Pakistan has legitimate needs in this region.”
Insisting that the US administration’s stance remains unchanged vis-à-vis Balochistan, US Ambassador Cameron Munter asserted on Sunday that “there is no doubt that people in Balochistan are facing human rights abuses”.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Express, the top US diplomat in Pakistan said that his country was concerned at the human rights situation in Balochistan and the US administration should take up the ‘alarming issue’ with Pakistani leaders.
“This is an important issue for us to be discussing with the Pakistani government. But we don’t want to go beyond that, in a manner that might be destabilising to any part.”
Munter’s statement came days after Pakistan’s Ambassador in Washington Sherry Rehman called a US Congressional hearing on Balochistan as an “ill-advised move that would be detrimental to the trust between Pakistan and the US.”
However, Munter reassured that the Congressional hearing did not reflect a change in the US official policy. “US government’s stance is very clear; we have not changed our position,” he said.
“We are always concerned, not just in Balochistan, but all around the world on issues that have to do with human rights. And let’s be honest there are human rights issues in Balochistan.”
Emphasising on the fact that the debate did not mean much in terms of policy making, he stated: “Debate in the Congress is an open debate, people can say what they want but our government’s position remains unchanged.
“The Congress is not controlled by our government. We welcome any discussion about the future of your country. Its means that if people are interested in human rights situation of Balochistan, then that should be talked about in public.”
The Salala attack
Recalling the ‘very tragic’ incident of November 26, 2011 when US-led Isaf forces ‘accidentally’ killed two dozen Pakistani soldiers, Munter said Islamabad was ‘understandably’ upset with Washington.
“There has been a pause in Pakistan-US relationship after the very tragic incident in Salala in which Nato troops accidently killed some soldiers. A terrible accident which we regret and Pakistan is understandably upset,” said Munter.
“(Pakistani) parliament will be debating this issue next week. Since the Salala attack, we have not had that extant of contact with Pakistan about issues like the Afghan reconciliation that we would like to.
“However, we are committed to sharing all this information with Pakistan. Once we have this debate in your Parliament, we want to reengage as soon as Pakistan wants.”
Appreciating the efforts of the Pakistani military in fighting militants, Munter said: “We hope that, the efforts made by the Pakistani military, which are significant, will continue to be successful.
“We have nothing but the greatest respect for the Pakistani Army. Hence, we want to ensure good contacts over the border between Isaf and them to avoid terrible incidents like Salala.”
Regarding peace talks with Afghanistan, the US ambassador said: “We want to see an Afghan-led process to bring peace to Afghanistan and the good news is America and Pakistan agree on this.
The Qatar initiative
Stressing on the need to keep a direct contact with the Afghan government to ensure a timely end to the more than a decade-long war, Munter said: “We were delighted when Foreign Minister Hina Rabbani Khar went to Kabul and had a successful meeting. This kind of contact is very important.
“There are issues that Pakistan and Afghanistan need to work on together. I think Pakistan can support the dialogue process in Qatar.
“Pakistan will always be included in that process. People in Afghanistan realise that they need to have a process that includes Pakistan.”
Stressing on the geo-political importance of the country he added: “Pakistan has legitimate needs in this region.”
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