Afghan mining deal with China facing failure

Afghan natural resources are valued at $3 trillion. But for security reasons, a multibillion-dollar mining deal between Kabul and Beijing is now in jeopardy. Its failure would have a big impact on the Afghan economy. It was meant to be the largest foreign investment in the history of Afghanistan. In 2007, the state-owned China Metallurgical Group Corporation (MCC) acquired the extraction rights to the Mes Aynak mine in Logar province for $3.5 billion (2.6 billion euros). The mine, located in eastern Afghanistan, is believed to sit on one of the largest unexploited copper deposits in the world. The Chinese put its current value at $10 billion, but the ambitious project is now on the brink of failure. Not a single gram of copper has been extracted in almost five years. The Afghan Minister of Mines and Petroleum, Wahidullah Shahrani, blames the "precarious security situation" for the delay. But he also stresses that the site is home to 1,500-year-old Buddhist temples, which must first be secured by archeologists. "To be very upfront with you, the MCC doesn't seem to be that active," Shahrani said, adding that he would meet the Chinese sometime soon to talk about the project's future.So far, the Chinese have failed to fulfill their obligations with the Afghan government. Alongside the payment for the mining rights, the contract includes an $808 million bonus as well as the construction of a railway line and a 400-megawatt power plant. Protection money Zarghona Rassa, from the Afghanistan Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (EITI), therefore believes that the Afghans will seek to review the agreement. "The government of Afghanistan is not happy with the way the Chinese are dealing with the contract," Rassa told DW, adding that a cancellation of the deal was no longer off the table. But it seems that it's not only the Afghans, but also the Chinese who are unhappy with the current state of affairs. Jawed Noorani, from the Afghan NGO Integrity Watch Afghanistan, says the MCC no longer regards the deal as profitable and is therefore using the Buddhist temples as an excuse to gain time for new negotiations. On top of that, a third player is now demanding protection money. "The security situation has worsened dramatically," said Noorani. The Chinese had already agreed to invest in the railway line, the gas project and the power plant to get the electricity for extracting the copper. "Now the Taliban want a slice of the pie and that's simply too much for the Chinese. This is why they want to renegotiate."Wang Lian, professor at the School of International Studies at Peking University, considers the lack of security and the impending withdrawal of ISAF troops to be the main reasons for the possible failure of the project. "Several political forces in Afghanistan are fighting for power, so it is understandable that the MCC is not particularly active." Wang says he is confident that the corporation will press ahead with its investment projects as soon as the security situation in Afghanistan stabilizes. "An economically stronger Afghanistan is also in China's interest," he adds.

'Big impact on investments'

The Chinese were not the only ones competing for the mining rights to Mes Aynak. Kazakhstan, for instance, had a fair chance, but refused to construct the railway line. However, Stephen Carter, from the international NGO Global Witness warns that Afghanistan would be in a much weaker position should it decide to re-commission the project. "The Chinese company has now put the Afghan government in a delicate position. If the current contract fails, it is not clear whether another company will offer the same terms as before," Carter told DW. The expert is of the opinion that the possible failure of the largest foreign investment project to date could have a big impact on future investments.

Big hopes on mining

Minister Shahrani is keen on relying on mining as an engine for economic growth. "Our goal is for the country to be able to stand on its own feet by the end of 2014. The mining industry should be able by then to provide the state with $4 billion in revenue every year." Afghan security forces keep watch as smoke rises from the site of an attack in Kabul, July 2, 2013. Currently, 90 percent of Afghanistan's budget is supported by foreign donors. According to Afghan authorities, the country is in possession of over 2.3 trillion euros worth of natural resources, including rare earth minerals, lithium, iron, tungsten, copper, lead, zinc, among others. It is especially lithium and rare earths which interest Germany as an industrial country. They can be used in the manufacturing of turbines for wind energy. Mining is a welcome source of income for the war-torn country, but without the Chinese or similar investment partners, this dream could shatter.

Hindus, Sikhs warn of leaving Afghanistan

http://www.afghanistantimes.af/

The Council of Hindus and Sikhs in Afghanistan on Wednesday warned of leaving the country if they were not given proper representation in the lower house of parliament. Flanked by civil society representatives, Rail Singh, the council’s deputy head, asked the government to take effective measures to address the problems being faced by the minorities. In the original draft election law, a seat had been reserved for the Hindus and Sikh, he told a news conference. But the parliament deleted the clause, he regretted. “We are very much concerned about the abolition of the reserved seat,” remarked Singh, whose community has no representation in parliament. No parliamentarian bothered to discuss the problems being faced by the minority, he deplored. Sikhs and Hindus could not win a single Wolesi Jirga because their numbers were very small, he said, adding most of their families had left Afghanistan as a result of infighting in the country. Singh explained 800 of his community families still lived in Kabul, Kandahar, Ghazni, Helmand, Nangarhar, Kunduz and Balkh provinces. Over the last couple of years, Hindus and Sikhs had been deprived of their properties and homes by powerful individuals, he alleged. Their kids could neither play on streets nor go to school because of harassment by other children, he complained. He said both Hindus and Sikhs had approached various departments and officials to have their problems resolved but no one addressed their concerns. “If our demands are not accepted, we will be forced to write to the United Nations to provide us asylum in a foreign country,” Singh announced. Ajmal Baloch, a member of civil society, asked the state to take steps to set aside a seat for the minorities in the Wolesi Jirga. He said Hindus and Sikhs had equally contributed to the strength of Afghanistan.

Malala’s struggle critics are blinded by anti-westernism

By Babar Ayaz

If today Gordon Brown, the US and UN support the women’s education cause in Pakistan and Afghanistan, should we stop supporting the right cause?

If I am killed by a stray bullet in a gunfight between the security forces and terrorists or dacoits, as bad luck would have it I was at the wrong place at the wrong time. But surely I would not be and should not be labelled as a ‘martyr’ or a ‘hero’. Why? Because I have in this case either died or was injured by accident serving no greater cause.

That is one of the many differences between Malala Yousafzai who was targeted by the Taliban for criticising them and those non-combatants who are killed in just and unjust wars around the world. Terrorists who fight an unconventional war are never hesitant to use human shields. They stay/hide in houses that have women and children, sometimes by force and many a times with sympathisers. Sometimes they have their own family. So when they are killed in a war waged by the jihadists, they cannot be compared with Malala because their death is by accident. More innocent people have been killed in terrorist attacks of jihadist organisations in Pakistan than by drones and Pakistani forces. But the ultra-nationalists’ statements are apologetic as they plead that the Taliban’s terrorism is only a reaction to the US forces in Afghanistan and Pakistan’s support to them. I think there is lot of confusion on the international recognition given to Malala. The Taliban and their allies are visibly irritated because Malala’s message was carried around the world effectively. They have changed their position against women’s education and said that Malala was attacked because of her opposition to their ‘just jihad’ waged to bring sharia in the country and not because she wanted to study. However, they have rejected all modern education as an imperialist forces conspiracy to spread democracy and secular thinking. They are still stuck with the British Raj’s conspiracies and reject modern education. The trouble is that Muslim societies reject rationalism and believe in blind faith strongly. It is something confusing for vacillating Muslims who are living in the modern global village. On the other hand there are some confused liberals/left extremists who are criticising Malala for playing in the hands of the west, whom they detest. True the US, UK, and other forces invaded Iraq under the flimsy cover of looking for WMDs. We all condemn that. But we should not dismiss some of the gains and losses made by the people as a result of the American invasion. The gain is that Iraq has now an elected government instead of a ruthless dictator; the Iraqi Kurds have more autonomy, which was denied to them by Saddam Hussein, and the Iraqi Shia population has now their due share in government after suffering massacres during Hussein’s regime. The downside is that the simmering Shia-Sunni conflict has now flared up, incited by the US, Saudi Arabia and Iran. It has now engulfed almost all Arab countries and Pakistan. Again hundreds of people have died in these sectarian killings. In Afghanistan and Pakistan the case was and is different. We all know that the Americans had left Afghanistan after their objective to oust the Soviets forces was achieved. Many in Pakistan criticised the Americans for dumping the garbage of the Afghan War on Pakistan. Afghanistan was damaged more by the same so-called Mujahideen groups than it was in the anti-Soviet war. We were all clear on the issue that the Afghan Mujahideen and their Islamic jihad would have disastrous implications for Pakistan. At that time Ziaul Haq’s treacherous government maintained that the Afghan war was in the national interest. Even some left extremists and liberals supported the CIA covert operation as a national liberation war. Today the same lobby believes that the ISI-backed Afghan Taliban are fighting a national liberation war.

Nobody can deny that the Pakistan-backed Taliban established a fascist government and made Afghanistan a granary of Islamist terrorists of the world. Thus any sympathy for them among the liberals and left extremists is due to lack of understanding about what qualifies as a ‘national liberation war’. The Taliban do not believe in democracy, instead, they want Khilafat where one man rules a theocratic state. No pluralism is tolerated whether it is of religion, thought or ethnicity.

The Pakistani Taliban are ideologically and organically an extension of the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda, which is evident if one reads the Taliban’s own literature to understand their worldview. They banned not only women’s education but restricted their movement and forced them to wear tent-like burqas. Malala stood against the Swat Taliban’s plot courageously for defending women’s right to education. All of us have to support this cause without casting aspersions on her efforts. The stupid political formulations that support what the enemy opposes and oppose what the enemy supports is being extended by the argumentative critics of Malala. Their stance is an extension of this political formulation, which is neither logical nor Marxist as they want us to believe. The question our confused friends should ask themselves is that if today Gordon Brown, the US and UN support the women’s education cause in Pakistan and Afghanistan, should we stop supporting the right cause? If today religious extremism is opposed by the west, should we start supporting the Taliban and their many allied jihadi outfits? If today the Taliban want to impose a medieval theocracy on the people through the barrel of a gun and it is opposed by the west for whatever reasons, should we adopt the Taliban’s primitive agenda and reject democracy just because western countries also support it? The point that should be noted is that we support causes that are pro-people and if the west supports them, that is because it suits them and we should not be distracted and shun their support. In politics on different points, interests of different forces converge; we should not be blinded by our anti-west theories, without understanding the fact that we live in a post-industrial period where globalisation is both good and bad for the people. (Re-reading of the Communist Manifesto and Volume One of Das Kapital to understand the role of capitalism may help confused left friends.) We should stop seeing issues and things in black and white. There are many shades of grey in between.

The writer is the author of the recently published book What’s Wrong With Pakistan?

Imran Khan’s reaction to Bannu jailbreak vs his reaction to D.I.Khan jailbreak

http://lubpak.com/archives/279551

In April 2012, Takfiri terrorists of Taliban and Sipah Sahaba (ASWJ-LeJ) attacked Bannu prison. More than 200 heavily armed Deobandi Taliban militants travelling in several vehicles attacked the Central Jail in Bannu, Southern District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, releasing 384 prisoners in a pre-dawn assault on Sunday, 15 April 2012. Imran Khan’s reaction to Bannu jailbreak was: “Bannu jail incident again shows total collapse of ANP governance & with it law and order in KP”.

On 29 July 2013, once again Takfiri Deobandi terrorists of Taliban and Sipah Sahaba (ASWJ-LeJ) attacked a prison, this time in D.I.Khan city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. More than 150 Deobandi terrorist attacked the D.I.Khan prison and were able to secure release of more than 250 terrorists, many of them belonging to Sipah Sahaba / Lashkar-e-Jhangvi. The only difference this time was that while in April 2012, ANP ruled the province, in July 2013, it was Imran Khan’s PTI that ruled the KP province.

Imran Khan’s reaction to D.I.Khan jailbreak is: “DIKhan jail break has shown the total failure of prev gov’s intel/sec set up. KP will be strengthening police/setting up strong intel immed. KP police in frontline of fire totally exposed with no tech aids or proper intel. Need to have proper provincial intel-security structures.” Imran Khan criticized ANP when Bannu jail was attacked. Now he is blaming the Federal government as well as intelligence agenices.

However, this report by Dawn newspaper shows that agencies had informed KPK government about the imminent attack: Jailbreak: it wasn’t an intelligence failure for once IF it was for intelligence information, Dera Ismail Khan’s Central Prison debacle should not have happened.

On July 27, a letter marked “secret” and “most immediate” by the country’s intelligence agency addressed to the commissioner, deputy commissioner, deputy inspector general of police, district police officer and the superintendent of Dera Ismail Khan central jail, stated: “It has been reliably learnt that miscreants namely Umer Khitab and his associates affiliated with Gandapur Group/TTP are planning to carry out terrorist attack against Central Jail – Dera Ismail Khan on the pattern similar to Bannu jailbreak in near future. According to information, miscreants are in possession of sketch/map of Jail and have reached in the vicinity of Dera Ismail Khan for this purpose.” The letter went out the day skirmishes broke out inside the prison between prisoners and guards, which say some security officials, was probably the day the attack could have been launched. To ensure that the letter reached its destination, properly signed receipts were also obtained from offices of the respective officers mentioned in the letter. The warning was followed by another demarche to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa the following day, on July 28, from the National Crisis Management Cell, Ministry of Interior, Islamabad. The letter marked “secret” and “most immediate” “Threat Alert 699” said: “It has been learnt through reliable source that Umer Khitab, along with TTP elements, are planning to carry out Bannu jailbreak-like attack on Dera Ismail Khan Central Prison and for this purpose, the group has reached the vicinity of Dera Ismail Khan.” The letter went to the KP Home Secretary, Peshawar, Provincial Police Officer, Additional Chief Secretary Fata, Inspector General of Frontier Corps, Inspector General, Prison, KP and Commandant Frontier Constabulary, KP, Peshawar. To reinforce the urgency of the matter further, officers were again warned through text messages on Sunday to take appropriate security measures. As a consequence, civil and military officers visited the prison to work out a security plan. The home secretary followed up on the threat. On July 29, hours before the most audacious attack on the prison located in the middle of a populated area, the Dera commissioner held a conference of all law-enforcement agencies and the civil administration to discuss the issue. The intelligence was not merely confined to information about gathering of militants in Dera. The administration was warned that militants would be launching a three-pronged attack from Sabzi Mandi, Girls Degree College and Town Hall where they parked their 14 vehicles. Also, the administration was told that militants might blow up power transmission line to cause a blackout and they were in possession of night vision goggles. Additionally, they were told that the convergence of hardcore militants in 12-A Barrack inside the prison was a recipe for disaster and that immediate steps be taken for their dispersal. As it happened, 105 jail guards and 75 men from the Frontier Reserve Police (FRP) were least prepared to forestall the ferocious attack with rocket-propelled grenades, time devices, other explosives and heavy firearms. The attack took place at around 11.30pm and went on till 2am – three hours with one hour inside the jail compound. The militants equipped with megaphones called out names of their brothers-in-faith and broke open their cells with explosive devices, all the while raising slogans of Allah-o-Akbar and TTP Zindabad. Then they went on a slaughtering spree, beheading four inmates, taking away heads of two of them. In all, by the last count, 248 prisoners have escaped, among them 30 hardcore militants, including Qari Asif and Khalil, the group involved in bombing in Dera Ismail Khan that had left 25 mourners dead on the ninth and tenth of Muharram last year. Law-enforcement agencies scrambled and the army was called in but what they found in pitched darkness were bodies of the slain prison guards, slaughtered and beheaded inmates, a strong stench of explosives and smouldering lockups. The hundred or so militants, along with a horde of escaped prisoners, melted away amid the ensuing mayhem and confusion. The incident has thus become the biggest jailbreak in Pakistan’s history. That no lessons were learnt from the Bannu jailbreak hardly comes as a surprise. Pakistanis as a nation, it appears, never learn from history, but what boggles the mind is that the administration would take its time to prepare for an assault which, it thought would come at a time of their choosing, said one official. They were upstaged by militants. The irony is, according to a senior official, the civil and military authorities had done mock exercises, assigned specific tasks and roles and worked out a clear standard operating procedure of who was to do what. “On paper everything was worked out meticulously to prepare for both day and night assault. It was a video game played out in real time,” the official said. What seems more bizarre, the minutes of the meeting presided over by the commissioner were properly recorded. “Everybody had taken the threat alert seriously,” the official said. Light machinegun-mounted armoured personnel carriers and mobiles of the Elite Police force were deployed and guards deployed on rooftops. But what happened was even more unbelievable. When the attack came, the mobiles disappeared along with the Elite force which was to stop the assault. The district police officer went to seek help from the brigade commander, but neither showed up. “The gun was there, but there was no one to pull the trigger,” an official said. There was no breach of wall of the prison. The main gate remains intact and the guard manning the gate told investigators that when he saw the militants blowing up the APC and when they approached the gate and ordered him to open it he had no option but to open it. The militants walked in, made announcements on the megaphones and took away their men. And to cap it all, the statements of the KP chief minister and his hand-picked Information Minister Shaukat Yousafzai that no intelligence was shared with KP on the Dera jail assault were brazenly misleading and untrue. “We could not have been more specific,” said an angry security official. It was incompetence and lack of preparedness, he said. The answer to Dera jail debacle was not setting up another intelligence agency within the police at a cost of Rs3 billion, as the PTI chairman said on Tuesday as clearly, the intelligence was there. It was a tactical failure. The Elite Police which had been assigned the task to guard the prison in view of the intelligence did not respond when the attack came. Neither was this an intelligence failure nor coordination failure. It was a failure of nerves and it all boils down to one stark reality: cowardice. - See more at: http://lubpak.com/archives/279551#sthash.X5EzfyTN.dpuf

Jailbreak in Dera Ismail Khan: ''Pakistan's Intelligence test''

A couple of days after the incident, more details are emerging about the Taliban jailbreak in Dera Ismail Khan. We now know with reasonable certainty that the attack wasn’t the result of an intelligence failure. In fact, the commissioner, deputy commissioner and other police officials at the prison were told on July 27 that an attack reminiscent of the Bannu jailbreak last year was imminent. The information was also passed on to the Khyber Pakthunkhwa government. This directly contradicts the KP chief minister and information minister’s claims that they received no intelligence warnings. This is no time to mince words and spare those in power. They must be forced to account for their deceit, something the PTI chief may look into seriously and quickly. The provincial government cannot become complacent and react to this attack as it has to all others by simply suspending a few officers for a short time. We must find out why security at the jail wasn’t heightened when there was advance warning of a threat. If it was because elements in the police were cooperating with the Taliban, then they must be identified and put on trial as terrorists. If it was simply incompetence then there are a lot of police officials who should be out of a job very soon. Given the number of intelligence agencies we have, we should be doing much better in our efforts against militants. Instead we seem to have ended with a sort of muddle, with no one apparently doing anything. We cannot hope to get very far if the major intelligence agencies are reluctant to work together or locked in some foolish sense of competition that prevents them from sharing information with each other. A divided force cannot succeed and the suggestion made by Imran Khan that a separate intelligence force be set up to deal with the militant threat does not really address the problem. We have too many intelligence agencies already and, in addition, police intelligence units as well. What we need to do is build cooperation between these various entities rather than establishing a whole new force working on its own and possibly contributing to the mess instead of helping sort it out. Certainly, the entire intelligence structure needs to be reviewed. There can be no doubt at all that good intelligence is vital to defeating militancy. Simply blocking mobile phones at specific times is not something that can resolve the security threat we face. We need an expert analysis of why our intelligence system has failed so badly, in the north, in Karachi, in Balochistan and elsewhere so that we can begin to take measures to correct all that has gone wrong, and thereby build a solid foundation on which to construct the strategy for a battle against terrorism. It can only be called criminal collusion when intelligence reports were available and the administration failed to act. The political parties also need to stop blaming each other and look inwards. All of them have contributed to the security challenges we face today. The PPP government abdicated all responsibility for security in the country, essentially indulging in leisurely inactivity and allowing the military to set the security agenda. The PML-N government still refuses to acknowledge that a sectarian war is being waged on the country’s Shia population and many of its most vicious practitioners hail from Punjab. The PTI, meanwhile, has not been sobered by its first couple of months in power. It still takes a head-in-the-sand approach to terrorism. The Dera Ismail Khan jailbreak should come as a shattering reality check to everyone in power – from the political parties to law-enforcement officials. All of them have failed the country and it is time they paid the price for that.

PPP wants CJP to step down

The Pakistan Peoples Party has demanded Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry should step down ‘to save the sanctity of the judiciary’, seeking fresh presidential election.

“After the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Fakharuddin G Ebrahim, the PPP asks Chief Justice Chaudhry to follow suit. The resignation of Mr Ebrahim has vindicated the party’s stance,” PPP Secretary-General Sardar Latif Khosa told Dawn on Wednesday. Mr Khosa said the chief justice had made the highest judicial office controversial by violating the Constitution in the verdict on presidential election. “After the resignation of the CEC, there is a constitutional crisis in the country and the PPP thinks it can only be resolved through the resignation of the chief justice,” he said. A general house meeting of the Lahore High Court Bar Association had also adopted a resolution demanding presidential references against CJ Iftikhar Chaudhry, Justice Jawad S Khwaja and Justice Sheikh Azmat Saeed for their alleged violation of the constitution in their judgment on the election of the president. “The cat has come out of the bag in the presidential election as the alliance of the troika – PML-N, judiciary and ECP – is now known to everyone,” he said. Mr Khosa said by advancing the presidential election schedule, the Supreme Court not only violated its mandate but also deprived the PPP of a level playing field, making the party demand fresh presidential election. He said the PTI should also have boycotted the presidential election.

Mr Khosa said the chief justice should have stepped down when allegations of making money through illegal means had surfaced against his son Arsalan. “Arsalan got away scot-free. Had someone else been involved in such a scandal, even his accomplices would also have been behind the bars,” he said.

Pakistan: SC in the eye of the storm

In the latest chain of events in which the Supreme Court has featured promiently, the Court has issued a notice of contempt to PTI chief Imran Khan and summoned him on 2nd August. The contempt is on the remarks of Imran Khan in which he had hurled accusations not just at the apex court but the Election Commission as well. The Chief Election has sent his resignation today, but the Supreme Court has reacted differently. It has decided to take the bull by the horn. The Supreme Court which was restored after long and valiant struggle by lawyers, political leaders, workers and other sections of civil society, is currently in the eye of the storm. Those who had once cherished it for its independence and undiluted stance on justice and law are now its most ardent critics. And with the passage of time, the number of its distracters is increasing and their rhetoric against is hardening. The cause of the recent spat of criticism is the Supreme Courts order to shift the date of presidential polls from August 6, to July 30. However, more than the decision to change the date has been the manner in which the SC reached it. PML-N's Raja Zafar ul Haq filed a plea in the apex court for the change of date, as the Election Commission after once announcing the date refused to change it and said it will change the date only on orders from the Supreme Court. While hearing the plea, the Supreme Court ignored the other stakeholders in the presidential race and did not summon either the other presidential candidates or their parties and get their point of view. Basically, everybody agrees that the omission of the due process of law was not just unexpected from this the court but grave as well. They argue that when such omissions take place in the lower judiciary, the decisions are overturned by the higher courts. However this is not the only gripe that the critics have: There is a list of cases in which it has been complained that justice was either delayed or denied, which to some, amounts to the same thing. There also is the complaint regarding the preference of the order of hearing of cases by the Court. Some cases are, it is said, are heard on day to day bases; in other cases, hearings are in fits and starts. The initial hearings of certain cases are in quick succession, and then these cases are put on the back burner. There also have been objections to the way the Court has reacted to reports of corruption in certain newspapers by converting the reports into pleas and foundations for suo motto actions. The PPP government was involved in a four-year tussle with the apex court and has been accusing it of interfering in the jurisdiction of the Parliament and the executive branch of the government. Also the way, this Court made the highest-level bureaucrats run around to bring relevant papers or to take orders from their political bosses within hours, in some instances even an hour, has been considered as very inappropriate by many. The PPP complains that the Court has been targeting its leaders and government. Imran Khan, who for long had supported the justices of the highest court of the land, has a gripe of his own. He complained that the High judiciary and the Election Commission had joined to hold the most rigged elections in the country's history. He had also complained that the court was dragging its feet on giving decision on his party's petition to hold a recount of four constituency by checking the thumbprints of the voters. Top lawyers and leaders in the movement for restoration of the original judiciary like Aitzaz Ahsan and Ali Ahmed Kurd and retired Justice ® Mahmud have been critical from time to time. Of course, Aitzaz lost his cool when he appeared as lawyer for the then prime minister Yusuf Raza Gilani but couldn't convince the judges; Kurd had called the justice, to put it lightly, arrogant; Justice Tariq's criticism has been mostly critical on technical grounds but more often than not. But the most potent of all the accusation is the one in which most accusers join in unison and say that the Court is partial in favour of PML-N. What is worrisome is that while most of the above maybe accused of have an axe to grind, there are lawyers, intellectuals and leaders of civil society who have voiced similar views. Without going into the merits and demerits of the accusations it would be appropriate to say that in the interest of judiciary, justice and the country, the Supreme Court has to turn around the negative impressions. It has to ponder and find ways to make sure that justice is not only done but seen to be done.

Pakistan: POL prices increased by up to Rs4.99/litre

THE FRONTIER POST

The prices of petroleum products have been raised by up to Rs4.99 per litre from August 1. According to Ministry of Finance, with an increase of Rs2.73 the retail price of petrol has now reached Rs104.50 per litre. Analysts say it will adversely impact the poor masses as transport, which are unable to get CNG because of gas shortage in the country will charge more in the wake of this mammoth raise. The ministry also increased per litre prices of diesel, kerosene oil, and light diesel oil (LD) by Rs3, Rs4.99, and Rs3.95 respectively. The new per litre price of diesel has jumped to Rs109.76 from a previous Rs106.76, kerosene oil Rs101.28 from Rs96.29, and petrol Rs104.50 from Rs101.77. Ministry of Finance also said that Oil and Gas Regulatory Authority had suggested a raise of at least Rs4 in the price of diesel.

Pashto Song: pekhawar kho pekhawar de kana

Turkey police fire tear gas to disperse protesters

Turkish riot police on Wednesday fired tear gas and water cannon to disperse hundreds of anti-government protesters at Istanbul's Taksim square, the epicentre of violent demonstrations which rocked the country in June. At least four people were injured, eye witnesses said, after police stepped in to break up a crowd of around 500 protesters clustered at the square. "We'll resist until we win!" the protesters shouted. "This is only a beginning, we'll continue to fight!" Cat-and-mouse games between police forces and protesters ensued in the streets around the square. Turkey's Islamic-rooted government was shaken in June by a wave of protests that presented it with the biggest public challenge since coming to power more than a decade ago. The unrest was sparked by plans to redevelop Gezi Park, which is adjacent to Taksim square, but soon evolved into a broader movement against the government, seen as increasingly authoritarian. According to police estimates, some 2.5 million people took to the streets in nearly 80 cities for three weeks to demand Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's resignation. Five people were killed and more than 8,000 injured in the civil unrest. The authorities had closed the park to the public after police evicted protesters on June 15. It was reopened earlier this month but demonstrators remain banned.

Prominent Bahrain Blogger Arrested

A rights activist in Bahrain says authorities have arrested a prominent blogger just days after warning of harsher measures against anti-government protesters in the violence-wracked Gulf kingdom. Bahrain's king earlier this week endorsed parliamentary calls to ban demonstrations in the capital Manama and impose tough punishments such as stripping citizenship for those convicted of violence. Security forces also have warned of a strong response to plans for major protest marches Aug. 14. Yousef al-Muhafedha, acting president of the Bahrain Human Rights Center, says blogger Mohamed Hassan was arrested early Wednesday. Hassan also worked as an assistant to various foreign journalists visiting Bahrain. Bahrain has been gripped by near nonstop unrest since February 2011 when majority Shiites began an uprising for a greater political voice in the Sunni-rule nation.

Saudi Arabia accused of giving Egypt $1B to oust Morsi

Washington Times

Political activist Mujtahid bin Hareth bin Hammaam, who operates an active Twitter campaign aimed at exposing corruption in the Saudi government, said Gen. Abdel Fattah el-Sisi received the money on July 3, United Press International reported. The reason for the payoff, he alleged, was so Egypt's transfer of power would flow smoothly. But now the Saudi government isn't sure it spent its money wisely, he said. "King Abdullah knows well that failure of the coup in Egypt will be a disaster for al-Saud because any new government will be stronger and will adopt anti-Saudi Arabia policies," Mr. Mujtahid tweeted, according to UPI. "That is why King Abdullah is one of the supporters of unlimited use of force in cracking down protesters. … King Abdullah not only supported the coup and tried to convince others to accept new changes, he also helped el-Sisi." The Saudi king is trying to influence the West from taking action — including the issuance of strong criticisms — against Egypt, the activist said. Read more: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jul/30/saudi-arabia-accused-giving-egypt-1b-oust-morsi/#ixzz2aeAFkV6E Follow us: @washtimes on Twitter

Saudi Arabia responsible for Syria bloodshed: Political Analyst

Damascus has recently lashed out at the Saudi regime, accusing the kingdom of backing “terrorists” after Riyadh condemned Syria for accepting fighters from Hezbollah in its struggle againtst foreign-backed terrorists. Syria has denounced that Saudi Arabia and Qatar, which work closely with the United States and its European allies, are responsible for the conflict and the ongoing bloodshed in its territory. The remarks by Syrian Information Minister Omran al-Zoubi came after Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Saud al-Faisal met with US Secretary of State John Kerry in Jeddah. Prince Saud al-Faisal spoke of “a foreign invasion” in Syria forgetting that his country has been financing and arming thousands of al-Qaeda-linked terrorists from all over the world and encouraging them to go to fight in Syria.

According to the observers, Saudi Arabia's real objective is to eliminate Bashar al-Assad´s government because it is an Iran´s ally and to replace it with a pro-Saudi extremist government. This would also allow Riyadh to increase its pressure on the Shia-led Iraqi government and to embolden pro-Saudi and pro-West forces in Lebanon against Hezbollah. The recent election of Ahmad Jarba as president of the foreign-backed Syrian National Coalition has reinforced the influence of Saudi Arabia over the perpetually divided opposition body and dealt a severe blow to Qatari leadership. Jarba, a tribal leader from the eastern Syrian province of Hasaka, has strong Saudi connections. He took the post from businessman Mustafa Sabbagh, a Qatar-backed figure. According to McClatchy News, Jarba is “in close touch with senior members of the Saudi intelligence services,” a euphemism to say he a Saudi agent. Sabbagh, for his part, said that “the Syrian dossier is now in the hands of Saudi Arabia.” Jarba has stated publicly his rejection to peace talks with the Assad government, thereby perpetuating the cycle of violence, which benefits the Saudi regime and costs more innocent Syrian lives. Jarba has said that “the participation in the Geneva 2 conference in these circumstances is impossible.” Political observers who have been following events in Syria for some time understand that these “circumstances” are the continued military defeats of the foreign-backed terrorists by the forces of the Assad government. It is this desperate need for victories by the militants that is driving Riyadh to become even more involved in fomenting the war. Using Jarba as their proxy, the Saudi government has launched a new and even deadlier phase of the war against Syria. In his first two days as head of the coalition, Jarba announced that the militants would soon receive “new shipments of sophisticated weapons from Saudi Arabia.” For his part, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al Faisal has rejected any negotiated settlement and he has made it clear that Saudi Arabia only wants a scenario of total regime collapse and a subsequent solution in which pro-Saudi elements would occupy a dominant position in the new power structure in Syria. Consequently, Saudi Arabia is doing its best to sabotage the Geneva-2 conference. The conference, which was agreed by US Secretary of State John Kerry and his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov last year, was intended to take place last May but it has been repeatedly postponed and its holding is now in doubt, largely because the West and Persian Gulf monarchies´ favorite clients, the Free Syrian Army and the Syrian National Coalition, refuse to participate in it because they are currently losing. Europe ignored Bandar´s request However, most governments in the world do not support the Saudi position and do not want an extremist al-Qaeda-linked or a Taleban-style regime in Syria, which would be a serious threat for the whole world and especially for Europe. Significantly, a recent European tour of the head of Saudi intelligent service, Prince Bandar bin Sultan, meant a great setback for Saudi Arabia and him personally. He tried to convince European countries to increase military aid to the Syrian opposition, but all these countries were unanimous in rejecting this request. Recently, two French MPs called on French President, François Hollande, to start to use reason in the treatment of the Syrian crisis and to refuse to supply arms to the opposition. “The masks have fallen and the true face of certain figures in the Syrian opposition have appeared. Even if opposition includes some democratic currents, most remaining currents are extremist,” wrote Jacques Mayar and Alain Marsaud in this statements. “Any provision of weapons to this opposition would cause more chaos, not only in Syria, but throughout the Middle East.” Bandar, who was the Saudi embassador to the US for many years, is Washington´s strong man in the kingdom. Its mission, internally, is to protect the process of the transfer of the power from the first generation of princes to the second one. Externally, his task is to implement an agenda aimed at destroying or weakening the axis of the resistance, a goal which is widely shared by the US. He is also closely linked to the CIA and US decision centers and institutions. According to reports, Bandar visited Washington few week ago and he met senior officials of the CIA and the White House there. He would also have held a secret meeting with President Barack Obama. The latter would have agreed to a Saudi request to entrust the kingdom the exclusive management of the Lebanese and Syrian cases, provided that Bandar assumes the responsibility. Therefore, the US government is allowing its Saudi ally to keep on sending international terrorists to Syria, including hundreds of Western militants who receive a combat training in the Arab country and will be able later to put into practice their skills and knowledge in their own countries when they return there. Renowned Middle East journalist Robert Fisk has stated ironically that the Obama administration “is claiming that they want a democracy in Syria. But Qatar is an autocracy and Saudi Arabia is among the most pernicious dictatorships in the Arab world. Rulers of both states inherit power from their families and Saudi Arabia is an ally of the Salafist-Wahabi rebels in Syria, just as it was the most fervent supporter of the medieval Taliban during Afghanistan´s dark ages.” Saudi role against Hezbollah The destabilizing role of the Saudi regime is not limited to Syria but it can be seen in Lebanon as well. Some Lebanese media has blamed Saudi Arabia for the recent bombing of Bir al-Abed, in the Suburb of Southern Beirut, on July 9. According to Lebanese sources, the attack was the work of a professional intelligence service and not of a terrorist group. These same sources suggest a role for Bandar bin Sultan in the execution of a plan to weaken and pressure Hezbollah for its role in the Syria fighting. The above-mentioned Lebanese sources point out that the battle of Al Qussair meant a dramatic turning point in the Syrian conflict as well as a total defeat for foreign-backed militants and the weakening of the Saudi role in the region and Saudi Arabia understand this. The project assigned to the Saudi regime to eliminate the axis of resistance has been sabotaged by Hezbollah´s role alongside the Syrian Arab Army. Therefore, Saudi Arabia, with its intransigent stance and its continued support for terrorist and extremist groups in Syria is putting the world´s stability and the future of Syria at risk. Saudi arms are already in the hands of al-Qaeda-linked groups and they are committing massacres and all kind of crimes in Syria with them. There is also a danger that these weapons will be used by these groups in other parts of the world, including Western countries, to carry out terrorist attacks there.

Pakistan Supreme Court issues contempt notice to Imran Khan

Pakistan’s top court on Wednesday issued a contempt of court notice to cricket legend-turned-politician Imran Khan and summoned him to appear before the court on August 2, DawnNews reported. The Supreme Court, in the notice issued to the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) chief, has said that Mr Khan apparently had tried to incite hatred against the apex court in one of his interactions with the media. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court, headed by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, will hear the case on Friday. On July 26, while speaking with media representatives outside the Parliament House in Islamabad, Khan had said that his party had taken an active part in the movement to restore deposed judges of the higher judiciary during former military ruler Gen (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s regime. However, he alleged that the May 11 polls were badly rigged despite being supervised by the judiciary and the Election Commission. Pakistan’s Attorney General Munir A. Malik has also been summoned to appear before the bench with related records on Friday. Meanwhile, PTI’s senior leader Shafqat Mehmood has said the party will not seek a pardon and defend their case lawfully.

FASCIST SAUDI REGIME: Saudi activist receives 7-year sentence, 600 lashes

A Saudi court has sentenced a activist to seven years in prison and 600 lashes for violating the nation's anti-cybercrime law, Human Rights Watch reported Wednesday. A Jeddah Criminal Court found Raif Badawi, who has been in prison since June 2012, guilty this week of insulting Islam through his website and in television comments. "This incredibly harsh sentence for a peaceful blogger makes a mockery of Saudi Arabia's claims that it supports reform and religious dialogue," said Nadim Houry, the deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch. "A man who wanted to discuss religion has already been locked up for a year and now faces 600 lashes and seven years in prison."His lawyer, Waleed Abu al-Khair, told Human Rights Watch that Judge al-Harbi read the verdict Monday. The court is expected to send him a written notification by August 6. They'll have 30 days to appeal.Ensaf Haidar, Badawi's wife, said she's devastated by the news. "I don't know what to do," Haidar said Wednesday. "Raif did nothing wrong." Haidar and the couple's three children now live in Lebanon. Estranged from her family, Haidar said it would be impossible to take her children back to Saudi Arabia. The stigma is too strong there. "You feel like everybody's accusing you," she said, close to tears, in an April interview. "Like everybody's against you, at war with you." CNN has made several attempts to reach the Saudi Arabia government for comment but received no response.Badawi's legal troubles started shortly after he started the Free Saudi Liberals website in 2008. He was detained for one day and questioned about the site. Some clerics even branded him an unbeliever and apostate.Last summer, Human Rights Watch released a statement urging Saudi authorities to free Badawi. "Saudi authorities should drop charges and release the editor of the Free Saudi Liberals website for violating his right to freedom of expression on matters of religion and religious figures," a statement from the group said at the time. Rights groups accuse Saudi authorities of targeting activists through the courts and travel bans. Many were outraged when two of the country's most prominent reform advocates, Mohammed Al-Qahtani and Abdullah Al-Hamid, were sentenced in March to 10 years in prison apiece. Amnesty International called that trial "just one of a troubling string of court cases aimed at silencing the kingdom's human-rights activists." Asked in January about accusations that Saudi Arabia is cracking down on dissent, Maj. Gen. Mansour Al-Turki, spokesman for the Saudi Interior Ministry, told CNN, "At the Interior Ministry, our area of responsibility is security." He added, "My understanding is that these cases are being looked at by the courts now. Nobody will comment on cases being looked at by the courts."

UN: Civilian Casualties Up 23 Percent in Afghanistan

The number of civilians killed in Afghanistan in 2013 has increased by 23 percent compared to last year, the United Nations Assistance Mission reports. The U.N. says most of the deaths were at the hands of anti-government forces. The first six months of 2013 have been grim for Afghanistan’s civilian population. Caught in the crossfire of a fight for power between Taliban and other militants and the U.S.-backed Afghan government, civilians have been dying by the hundreds. The mid-year report by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, says that more than 1,300 civilians were killed and more than 2,500 injured in the first half of the year. The report says most people are being killed by IEDs, or homemade bombs, that anti-government forces are hiding in heavily populated areas, like markets and busy roads. The Taliban rejected the report as propaganda. But Georgette Gagnon, UNAMA’s director of Human Rights in Afghanistan, called for an end to the militants’ use of IEDs. “We observed an increase in the Taliban's use of something called remote-controlled IEDs which are supposedly more discriminate -- meaning they can target a military target more precisely -- we have seen increased use in those types of of IEDs," Gagnon said. "However, the way they are being placed has been indoctrinate, meaning that they are placing these IEDs and making them go off in places that civilians frequent, such as parks, bazaars and busy public roads." According to the U.N. report, civilians are too often trapped in the gun and bomb battles raging in provinces where international forces have withdrawn and pro- and anti- government forces are fighting for control. With international combat forces due to leave by the end of 2014, Gagnon says the increase in ground battle deaths is a worrying development. “This is a new trend that poses an increasing risk to Afghan children, women and men," Gagnon said. Afghan women and children are increasingly bearing more of the brunt of the violence. UNAMA documented a steep 72 percent increase in the killing and maiming of children from IED attacks. Angheza Shinwari, a member of the provincial council of Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province, says Afghan security forces are not prepared to defend the population. She says that she is not optimistic about the security transition process. She praised Afghan men as being "very brave" and having God to help them. But she is not hopeful for what happens next. The Taliban rejected the U.N. report as baseless propaganda. It said in a statement released to the media that the nine percent of civilian deaths that the U.N. attributes to pro-government forces held “no resemblance” to the ground realities.

Pakistan Election Commission chief resigns

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Fakhruddin G Ebrahim, Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan, resigned today a day after overseeing the election of the new President. In his resignation letter addressed to President Asif Ali Zardari, Ebrahim said that he has done his job to hold elections and it was time for the new Parliament to appoint his successor, so that the new chief can get ample time to prepare for next election in 2018. "In my humble opinion, the newly elected members of Parliament should have the opportunity to forge new consensus and choose a new Chief Election Commissioner," he said. "Therefore, in accordance with Article 215(3) of the Constitution, I hereby resign from the office of the Chief Election Commissioner of Pakistan". The outgoing election chief said that he tried to perform to the best of his abilities despite personal threats. "Despite personal threats and even brazen gun attack on my family - I quietly stood firm against those forces who first tried to derail and then delay the 2013 Elections," he said. He regretted the violence in run up to the May 11 election in which dozens of people were killed. Ebrahim also expressed satisfaction over successful first ever political transition under a civilian government. Pressure has been mounting on Ebrahim from the opposition parties due to alleged irregularities in the May elections. He was also criticised for failure to stand up against the Supreme Court when it unilaterally changed date of presidential elections. Ebrahim was appointed in July 2012 after then ruling Pakistan Peoples Party and opposition PML-N agreed on his name, as part of constitutional obligation that government and opposition should jointly nominate the election chief.

Militant jailbreak in Pakistan prompts fears of similar attacks

Prison in Dera Ismail Khan was attacked by waves of gunmen wearing police uniforms who freed hundreds of Islamists

A massive jailbreak in Pakistan in which up to 300 Islamic militants escaped could lead to a wave of similar attempts to free detained extremists, security experts and officials have warned. The prison, in the western city of Dera Ismail Khan, was attacked on Monday night with suicide bombs, mortars, rocket-propelled grenades and waves of gunmen wearing police uniforms. Authorities said 24 wanted terrorists were among those freed. Six policemen were killed in the two-hour firefight. The attack, which was claimed by the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), underlines the continuing weakness of agencies charged with maintaining security and countering violent extremism in the troubled south Asian state. There are scores of similar detention facilities across the region where poorly trained, badly equipped police and prison personnel oversee thousands of militant prisoners. Last week around 500 militants, including many convicted senior members of al-Qaida waiting to be executed, were freed in a similarly brazen attack in Iraq. Waves of militants attacked the infamous Abu Ghraib prison west of Baghdad, using tactics almost identical to those employed in Dera Ismail Khan. A statement of responsibility issued in the name of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant was later posted on a jihadist forum. "There is no evidence of any co-ordination as such but one could reasonably assume there is a contagion effect. It's a bit like hijacking in the 1970s and 1980s," said Magnus Ranstorp, a respected expert at the Swedish National Defence College. Imtiaz Gul, a security analyst and author in Islamabad, said the Pakistani Taliban, a coalition of different groups largely based in the restive semi-autonomous zones along the border with Afghanistan, would have been aware of the operation in Iraq last week. "All these groups watch one another. They pick up knowledge, learn lessons, replicate tactics … This will keep happening," Gul said. One western security official in Pakistan, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the prisons as "low-hanging fruit" for militants and said intelligence services across the region were "well aware" of the problem. There have been many breakouts in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere. Some have significant strategic consequences: a mass escape in Yemen in 2006 saw almost the entire leadership of the al-Qaida affiliate in that country (AQAP) gain freedom – a key factor in the surge of violence there. AQAP now poses the most significant threat to the west, officials say. Nearly 500 militants were also freed from a jail in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar in 2011, fuelling the local insurgency. "There is no strategy, no competence, no vision. So it's easy for these groups," said Gul. One strike in Pakistan last week targeted an office of the main spy agency, the ISI, while another killed more than 50 Shia Muslims. The jail in Dera Ismail Khan was supposed to be heavily guarded. Officials received a letter threatening an attack, but they did not expect it so soon, said Khalid Abbas, head of the prison department in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. A curfew has been imposed and army units deployed. Six Shia Muslim prisoners – the vast majority of Pakistanis are Sunni – were killed. Many of the high-profile prisoners who escaped belong to the violent sectarian group Lashkar-e-Jangvi, further evidence of increasing collaboration between groups. The Pakistani Taliban have also claimed responsibility for the two attacks earlier this week and for the shootings of 10 mountaineers at base camp on a famous peak, Nanga Parbat, last month. Hopes that the election of a new government in Pakistan, led by third-time prime minister Nawaz Sharif, might lead to less violence, have been dashed. Some analysts have suggested the ambivalent position taken towards the Taliban by some high-profile Pakistani politicians might have emboldened militants. Imran Khan, the former cricketer turned conservative prime ministerial candidate, said negotiating with the extremists was the only way to end violence in the restive western border zones. In April 2012, Taliban militants armed with automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades battled their way into a prison in the city of Bannu in north-west Pakistan, freeing close to 400 prisoners, including at least 20 described by police as very dangerous insurgents. After that attack, militants said they had been helped by insiders in the security services. An inquiry later found there were far fewer guards on duty than there should have been and those who were there lacked sufficient ammunition. One of the militants freed in that attack, Adnan Rasheed, recently gained attention by writing a letter to the teenage education activist Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by the Taliban last year in an attempt to kill her. Rasheed said he wished the attack had not happened, but told Malala that she was targeted for speaking ill of the Taliban. Reuters new agency has reported that Rasheed was the mastermind behind this latest attack.

Top jihadi jailbreaks and escapees

The most high-profile: Abu Yahya, a senior al-Qaida propagandist and organiser, won global renown among militants for escaping from the high-security US-run detention centre at Bagram, in Afghanistan in 2005. He was killed by a drone strike last year.

The most damaging: In February 2006, Naseer Abdul Karim Wuhayshi and 22 other suspected al-Qaida members broke out of a jail in Sanaa, the capital of Yemen. They went on to build the affiliate of the group which now is seen as posing the biggest threat to the west.

The most numerous: More than 900 prisoners escaped from Sarposa prison in Kandahar after a suicide attacker crashed a huge carbomb into its gates in 2008.

The most unlikely: Rashid Rauf, a British militant detained by Pakistani security agencies escaped when allowed to go to the toilet by policemen accompanying him to a court in 2007. He was later killed.

The most like a film: In 2011, 35 prisoners facing terrorism charges escaped through a sewage pipe from a temporary jail in the Iraqi city of Mosul – as a convict does in the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa polio staff holds demonstration over salaries

Demanding for immediate disbursement of salaries to polio staff, members of Paramedical Association Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chapter, staged a protest demonstration outside the press club on Tuesday. The protest was leading by Para Medical Staff Association, President Anwar Khan, General Secretary Mohammad Zakir, and Vice President Mubarak Shah along with scores of polio staffs. They were carrying placards and banners, noted voice in favour of their demands. Addressing on the occasion, the Association president, Anwar Khan said that the polio staff had performed duties despite the security threats, but the authorities concerned were withhold their salaries for several months, without any specified reason. They said that it was totally unjust with poor employees. He said that the importance of polio staff can not be ignored in the present situation, saying that KP is being confronted with insurgency and terrorism, so it was challenging job for the polio staff. The association president said that the salaries of polio staff was also very nominal, which need to raise as per increasing inflation in the country. He demanded of the health authorities to immediate disburse salaries otherwise, they would compel to launch a protest campaign against it.

Load shedding protest: Furious crowd attack grid station in Kohat

GEO TV

The angry mob stormed a grid station and broke the main door while protesting against relentless load shedding in Kohat on Wednesday, Geo News reported. According to sources, the local residents were protesting against the incessant load shedding and attacked a grid station on Pindi Road and damaged the main door of the station. The demonstrators, while expressing their agony, told that 20 hours of power failure during the holy month of Ramazan is unjust with the people, and demanded to end the unannounced load shedding on priority basis.

ڈی آئی خان جیل حملہ: ستائیس پولیس اہلکار معطل

http://www.bbc.co.uk/urdu

حملے کے بعد ٹانک میں لگائی گئی کرفیو بدستور نافذ ہے اور ڈی آئی خان میں کچھ دیر کے لیے کرفیوں میں نرمی کر دی گئی ہے پاکستان کے صوبہ خیبر پختونخوا کے ضلع ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان میں سینٹرل جیل پر حملے کے بعد فوراً کارروائی نہ کرنے پر ایلیٹ فورس کے افسران سمیت ستائیس دوسرے پولیس اہلکاروں کو معطل کر دیا گیا ہے۔ ہمارے نامہ نگار عزیزاللہ خان کے مطابق یہ اقدام صوبائی آئی جی پولیس خیبر پختونخوا نے متعلقہ پولیس افسران اور ہلکاروں کی طرف سے جیل پر حملے کے بعد فوراً ردِ عمل ظاہر نہ کرنے کی وجہ سے اٹھایا ہے۔ ان کا کہنا ہے کہ واقعے کے تیسرے دن بھی حکومت یہ صحیح طور پرواضح نہیں کر سکی کہ حملہ آور کتنی تعداد میں کس طرف سے آئے، حملہ کرکے قیدیوں کو کیسے آذاد کیا اور کس راستے سے جائے وقوعہ سے فرار ہونے میں کامیاب ہو گئے۔ ایک سرکاری ذرائع نے بی بی سی کو بتایا کہ حملہ آور جیل کے مرکزی دروازے کو تھوڑ کر اندر داخل ہوئے اور انھیں جیل کے اندر نقل و حرکت کرنے میں کوئی مشکلات پیش نہیں آئیں۔ یاد رہے کہ مسلح پسندوں نے ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان میں سینٹرل جیل پر پیر کی رات کو حملہ کرکے 243 قیدیوں کو رہا کروا لیا تھا جن میں تیس انتہائی خطرناک قیدی بھی شامل تھے۔ اس واقعے کی ابتدائی تفتیشی رپورٹ تھانہ چھاؤنی ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان میں درج کر دی گئی ہے۔ حملے کے بعد ٹانک میں لگائی گئی کرفیو بدستور نافذ ہے اور ڈی آئی خان میں کچھ دیر کے لیے کرفیوں میں نرمی کر دی گئی ہے جبکہ ڈی آئی خان کی طرف جانی والی چار اہم شاہراہیں بدستور بند ہیں۔ ایک ذرائع نے بی بی سی کو بتایا کہ حملہ آور جیل کے مرکزی دروازے کو تھوڑ کر اندر داخل ہوئے اور انھیں جیل کے اندر نقل و حرکت کرنے میں کوئی مشکلات پیش نہیں آئیں ان شاہرہوں میں ڈیرہ بنوں روڈ، ڈیرہ ٹانک روڈ، ڈیرہ چشمہ روڈ ا ور دربن روڈ شامل ہیں۔ پاکستان کے سرکاری ذرائع ابلاغ کے مطابق اس حملے میں چھ اہلکاروں سمیت بارہ افراد ہلاک اور 13 زخمی ہوئے تھے۔ ڈیرہ اسماعیل خان ڈویژن کے کمشنر مشتاق جدون نے بی بی سی سے بات کرتے ہوئے بتایا تھا’شدت پسندوں کے حملوں کے باعث کُل 243 قیدی جیل سے فرار ہونے میں کامیاب ہوئے تاہم سکیورٹی فورسز نے سرچ آپریشن کے دوران چودہ قیدیوں کو دوبارہ حراست میں لے لیا ہے۔‘ کمشنر مشتاق جدون نے بتایا تھا کہ حملے کے باعث جیل سے فرار ہونے والوں قیدیوں میں سے تیس قیدی انتہائی خطرناک قیدی تھے۔ انہوں نے کہا تھا ان تیس قیدیوں میں سے کوئی بھی قیدی دوبارہ گرفتار نہیں کیا جاسکا۔

کالعدم شدت پسند تنظم تحریک طالبان پاکستان نے سینٹرل جیل پر حملے کی ذمہ داری قبول کرتے ہوئے دعویٰ کیا تھا کہ انھوں نے اس حملے میں دو سو کے قریب ساتھیوں کو رہا کرا لیا تھا۔ اس سے قبل سرکاری میڈیا پی ٹی وی کے مطابق ڈی آئی خان کے سینٹرل جیل کے سپرنٹنڈنٹ نے بتایا کہ جیل میں کُل 483 قیدی تھے جن میں سے 243 قیدی فرار ہو گئے ہیں۔ کمشنر مشتاق جدون کا کہنا تھا کہ حملہ آوروں نے لاؤڈ سپیکرز پر اپنے ساتھیوں کے نام پکارے۔ مقامی افراد کے مطابق طالبان لاؤڈ سپیکرز پر ’اللہ اکبر‘ اور ’طالبان زندہ باد‘ کے نعرے لگاتے آئے تھے۔ گزشتہ سال اپریل میں خیبر پختونخوا کے ضلع بنوں کی سینٹرل جیل پر طالبان نے حملہ کر کے تین سو چوراسی قیدیوں کو رہا کروا لیاتھا، فرار ہونے والے قیدیوں میں زیادہ تر طالبان شدت پسند تھے۔ پاکستان میں 89 جیلیں ہیں جن میں سے 65 جیلوں کو انتہائی حساس قرار دیا گیا ہے۔ سب سے زیادہ حساس قرار دی جانے والی جیلیں صوبہ پنجاب اور خیبر پختونخوا میں واقع ہیں

گزشتہ سال شدت پسندوں کی جانب سے ممکنہ حملوں سے متعلق کلِک بی بی سی کو موصول ہونے والی اس رپورٹ کے مطابق کالعدم تنظیموں سے تعلق رکھنے والے افراد نے خودکش حملوں، بم دھماکوں اور شدت پسندی کے مختلف مقدمات میں گرفتار ہونے اپنے ساتھیوں کی رہائی کے لیے جیلوں پر حملہ کرنے کی منصوبہ بندی کی۔ ان اطلاعات کے بعد پاکستان فوج نے جیلوں پر شدت پسندوں کے ممکنہ حملوں کو روکنے کے لیے جیل کے عملے کو کمانڈو تربیت دینے کا فیصلہ کیا تھا۔

Jamshed Dasti: You have no idea who I am!

http://lubpak.com/archives/279207

Just as people in glass houses should not hurl stones, people in parliament houses should not hurl threats. Member of the National Assembly Jamshed Dasti, who based his election campaign on slogans of representing the “non-elites” and the middle-class of the country, recently demonstrated the same typical elitist behaviour associated with those walking the corridors of power.

Dasti threatened motorway police officers with “grave consequences” after the latter had the ‘audacity’ to pull him over for speeding. Never mind that it was the fourth time they had signalled for the speedy MNA to stop his Toyota Hilux. The earlier three attempts to stop the speedy MNA’s pickup truck proved futile. “You have no idea about the powers of MNAs. You will regret this,” Dasti threatened two patrolling officers on the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway after they issued him a Rs700 speeding ticket. The two-term MNA, a man of humble origins who defeated the father of former foreign minister Hina Khar in a landslide electoral victory using the ‘man-of-the-people’ approach, was not driving himself, rather it was his driver who was behind the wheel at “dangerously high speed”, according to police officials. The speed camera first detected Dasti a few kilometres short of the Swabi interchange. The police patrol stationed a kilometre ahead signalled for him to stop, but Dasti instructed his driver to speed up instead. The police got on his tail. The patrols ahead were informed. The MNA’s car was signalled to stop again a short distance up the road, and again decided to give the police a run. However, the cops remained adamant. By this time, they had identified the car as belonging to Dasti, and knew he was an MNA, but refused to give up the chase. The police erected traffic cones on the road a few metres short of the Swabi interchange. Here, the MNA’s driver was finally forced to slow down the pickup truck. But the MNA was not ready to give up. He had other ideas. He decided to try and escape via GT Road using the Swabi interchange exit. The cops were quick to anticipate the MNA’s plan, though even they were confused whether the parliamentarian was trying to protect his ‘izzat’ or his Rs700. The police finally blocked the MNA’s vehicle and left him with no option but to step out — with four armed bodyguards surrounding him. “You know this has never happened before. No one has ever dared to stop me,” Dasti told the policemen — senior patrolling officers (SPO) Imtiaz Ahmed and Atta Muhammad. The patrolling officers remained courteous and politely informed the MNA that everyone, an MNA or a layman, was equal before the law. His armed bodyguards also quarrelled with the patrolling officers and tried to create a scene, the motorway police officer said. “I will get you transferred to Balochistan. You do not know my powers,” the MNA went on to boast. The policemen politely replied that they were ready to serve wherever the government posted them. The MNA flatly refused to accept the speeding ticket and the police refused to let him go without it. After some arguments, the MNA gave up and paid the fine before moving on to motorway exit and heading for Peshawar. The police officers must be thinking what will happen next. Would they be transferred to Balochistan — considered one of the toughest postings for police officers from other provinces? That is not yet certain, but the cops should still be prepared for a call to appear before the National Assembly privilege committee, as the MNA would undoubtedly wail about the breach of privilege and his izzat on the first available opportunity in the assembly. - See more at: http://lubpak.com/archives/279207#sthash.lhNUFZ6v.dpuf

Pakistan's Dangerous labour: The little-known 'e-waste' phenomenon

Akash Ali is a nine-year-old labourer who works at a warehouse on Rawalpindi’s College Road. He suffers from asthma, but he seems unaware of the health and environmental hazards attached to his job. Akash works for a warehouse of electronic waste (e-waste). “My father has died and now I’m the only breadwinner of my family,” he told Dawn.com, adding that he has a mother, two younger brothers and a sister to support. E-waste includes old computers, television sets, mobile phones, printers, fax machines and electronic games.Most of the material contains toxic material which poses a serious risk to health, especially for the labourers involved in physically handling the material. He earns 90 rupees daily by cleaning old computers and their accessories, including key boards and printed circuit boards. “Sometimes I am also assigned to burn the old and discarded electronic material from where I think I contracted the asthma,” he explains. The owner of the warehouse, meanwhile, declined to talk on the health hazards his employees faced. What is certain, however, is that the relevant authorities have been unable to devise a cogent policy to handle the menace of e-waste. Pakistan has virtually become a dumping ground for such toxic material. It receives thousands of tons every year from developed countries like the United States and United Kingdom. A report titled “Recycling – From E-waste to Resources” prepared by the United Nations Environment Programme and released in July 2009 says that e-waste has become a huge and growing problem in the modern world. In the US alone, over 112,000 laptops and desktop computers are discarded every day. The report says around 40 million metric tons of e-waste are produced globally each year, and about 13 percent of that weight is recycled mostly in developing countries including Pakistan, Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka. About 9 million tons of this waste is produced by the European Union. China and India have strengthened their laws about the import of e-waste from developed countries; so it is likely the illegal waste will increase manifold in Pakistan in the coming months. Shershah in Karachi remains one of the major markets for e-waste in Pakistan where all sorts of electronic and electrical goods, spare parts, computers and smuggled goods arrive by sea and land for sale or further distribution to other cities. An International Labour Organisation (ILO) report titled, “The global impact of e-waste: Addressing the challenge,” says the demand for e-waste began to grow when scrap yards found a way of extracting valuable substances such as copper, iron, silicon, nickel and gold during the recycling process. The report says that even a low level of exposure of children and pregnant women to lead, mercury, cadmium and other heavy metals can cause serious neurological damage. Child scavengers who pick up things from e-waste sites are the most likely victims of different diseases. The main risks to human health and the environment arise from the presence in e-waste of heavy metals, Persistent Organic Pollutants (POPs), flame retardants and other potentially hazardous substances. If improperly managed, such substances may pose significant human and environmental health risks. Asif Shuja Khan, Director General Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency, says the informal e-waste activities are posing a serious threat to environment and human health as agricultural lands and livestock are getting contaminated by the waste in some parts of the country. He says the risks can be lowered if proper measures are adopted and the recycling industry is legalised through proper legislation. “Proper ventilation and light should be ensured at the recycling and dumping sites to minimise the health risks.” Khan says workers in the e-waste sites should also wear appropriate safety equipment such as goggles, gloves and arm protection. “Smoking, eating and drinking should be prohibited in the work areas and workers should also be advised to wash their hands with proper detergents before meals.” He says that a number of foreign companies have contacted the Pakistan EPA to start work in the recycling industry and reuse e-waste in the country, if the business is given legal cover through proper legislation. “We will take up the issue with the relevant authorities both in the centre and provinces to legislate on import, handling and management of the e-waste,” he says, adding Pakistan can earn millions of rupees, thousands of people can get jobs and health and environmental risks can also be minimised if the business is legalised through proper legislation. So far, the business of importing e-waste and its subsequent recycling at different places in the country remains illegal under the Basel Convention, to which Pakistan is a party, but it is going on without any check. The convention on the Control of Trans-boundary Movements of Hazardous Wastes and Their Disposal bans the exchange of hazardous waste, including e-waste, between developed and developing countries. As Pakistan has not framed any particular rules and regulations to regulate the e-waste; so the importers keep benefiting from the loopholes. The e-waste is imported from developed countries under the disguise of “second-hand goods” and then recycled here for reuse. Under Articles 4 and 5 of the convention Pakistan is bound to take “appropriate and legal” measures and to establish a competent authority to manage and regulate the e-waste. The relevant ministries including the commerce and information technology departments have so far done nothing in this regard. The commerce ministry’s deputy secretary (foreign trade), Muhammad Ashraf, admits that no specific rules and regulations are framed to regulate and manage the e-waste. However, he was quick to clarify that the ministry itself doesn’t initiate any policy on any issue – rather it is the responsibility of the stakeholders to highlight a problem and submit their proposals with the ministry for the formulation of a formal policy. “Under the Basel convention, the ministry is so far only looking into environmental and health risks of plastic waste being imported from different countries,” he says. Ashraf says a formal strategy on the import of e-waste may be formulated if certain health and environmental hazards linked to the waste are brought into notice of the ministry. Officials in the IT ministry also remain oblivious to health and environmental hazards of e-waste; so nothing is being planned to regulate the waste or take up the issue with relevant authorities for redress.

Pakistan : Time to act ( DIK Central Jail )

EDITORIAL

Not that we are not accustomed to it, but what surprises the most is that in spite of repeated attempts of a similar nature by the terrorists, the government and its law enforcement agencies have learnt little or nothing about security and its parameters. It would not be wrong to say that in the process we have allowed the terrorists to hone their skills in challenging the writ of the state without much resistance. Those who had broken out of Bannu Jail last year in April are still at large, and the chances are that the criminals who had fled from Dera Ismail Khan’s (DIK) Central Jail the other day would vanish as well. One is at a loss at the tactics successfully used by the terrorists when they attacked DIK’s Central Jail. Armed with rockets and heavy weapons, the group of about 250 militants parked their vehicles just outside the main gate of the Jail and began their assault that lasted several hours. They had come to rescue their accomplices imprisoned there. They did that and left the scene with their 175 friends, after letting off at least 40 explosions and killing 10 people. Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan has become emboldened with the increasing show of weaknesses of the government. The incapacity of the present incumbents, in office for two months now, to build a coordinated and all-encompassing counter-terrorism strategy is feeding into the strength of the militants. Ever since the PML-N has assumed office, many high profile attacks have occurred across the country. However, the response did not go beyond condemning the incident or a verbal statement to deal with the culprits with an iron hand. Are we confronting a new situation? How many times do we have to create a consensus through All Parties Conferences? There are parliamentary resolutions on the identity of our enemies and the mechanisms to combat them. With so much brainstorming already done, it is just a matter of getting our act together and calling a spade a spade. The present government did not even have the luxury to enjoy the traditional 100-day honeymoon period! The DIK Central Jail had 35 hardcore criminals yet the security of the jail was wholly inadequate. Surrounded by mud walls and protected by ramshackle gates, it was an open invitation to the militants. Only a day before this incident, 10 militants fled after overwhelming the jail staff, although the authorities claim they were subsequently apprehended. There are also reports that there was prior intelligence about the impending attack. Still, the doors of the jail were symbolically kept open. According to TV reports, the police showed no resistance as they lacked training and equipment to confront heavily armed terrorists. It is time to wake up, and to act.

Pakistan: Opposition demands removal of ECP officials

Awami National Party (ANP) Information Secretary Senator Zahid on Tuesday demanded he removal of Election Commission of Pakistan officials who failed to perform their duties regarding holding free and fair presidential poll. Talking exclusively to Pakistan Today, Zahid said his party’s boycott was not against the presidential election, but the system under which hurdles were created to restrict parliamentarians in using their right to vote. He said the ECP violated the code of conduct for elections earlier and later the Supreme Court interfered by giving a faulty judgment on the initial hearing, without listening to the other parties, adding that the procedure was neither constitutional nor democratic. “On the other hand, the government did not adopt a flexible approach, which was a big mistake on their part,” he added. “The PML-N had majority in parliament, what would have happened if they had held the presidential polls by August 6?” Khan questioned, saying the reality was that the government was up to sabotage the process. To a question, he was of the view that in Senate, only 40 of 103 members cast their ballots, and Senate was a platform that united provinces and played an important role in legislation. “We consider the presidential poll controversial,” he added, saying the circumstances under which the polls took place were disputed. He said Tuesday’s major incident was the terror strike on DI Khan jail and government was quite over the issue, despite claiming that it would introduce change. “Is this the promised change?” the ANP leader said. “Even the media is biased over the issue and kept its eyes closed over jailbreak, proving to be a ‘Punjabi media’.” If the particular incident had taken place in Punjab, the media’s reaction would have been different, Zahid said. Wasim Sajjad of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid was of the view that it would have been better for the government not to indulge in any controversies over the presidential election. “The situation would have been different, because the president is a symbol of federation.” “Whatever happened is done, the president should now stay away from becoming disputed and should put aside party affiliations.” The PML-Q leader said the new president should create an environment in which no lawmaker felt hesitation in visiting the presidency and should take on board all political parties in the larger interest of the country. Commenting on the PPP boycott of polls, he said it was a political decision and every party enjoyed its right to boycott if it had reservations. Jamat-e-Islami leader Fareed Ahmed Paracha termed the presidential poll unpleasant, saying the election had stained the beauty of the democratic system. Talking to Pakistan Today, Paracha maintained that it was true that the PML-N held majority in parliament and would be able to bring their president. “However, several things happened in this election that caused disgrace to the presidential poll, including the change in the schedule of the presidential poll, PML-N’s contact with the Supreme Court and Supreme Court’s decision on the initial hearing of the trial,” he said. Paracha noted that on part of the opposition, the division was the most unpleasant situation faced and the opposition should not have been divided. - See more at: http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2013/07/31/news/national/opposition-demands-removal-of-ecp-officials-skeptic-over-presidential-poll-result/#sthash.oSykw6M5.dpuf

PTI fails to fulfill its promises in KP:?

The Frontier Post

Formal Provincial Information Minister and Awami National Party Central Leader Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that Imran Khan and Chief Minister Pervaiz Khattak failed to fulfill the promises which they made in their manifesto. While addressing a gathering at NA-5 on Tuesday, Mian Iftikhar Hussain said that 40day has passed and PTI led provincial government was unable to stop Nato supply and drone attacks. He said that the provincial government had leave the masses and had not provide them any relief and on the other hand security forces were facing a blood pool and the provincial government doesn't even gives a statement over it. Former Information Minister said ANP is ready to cooperate with PTI led provincial government to deal terrorism because it is our province and we want peace here but the PTI is divided into two halves and they were unable to deal with such situation. He said PTI who claimed to bring changed even violated its own manifesto and had totally failed. ANP Provincial General Secretary Arbab Tahir Khan, District President Malik Juma Khan, Ijaz Hussain, Ahmed Gul, Engr Hamid Ali Khan, Alam Zeb Advocate, Zir Ali Khan and JUI-F, ANP and PPP contestant for NA-5 Daud Khan Khattak also addressed the gathering and criticized PTI led provincial government. Arbab Tahir Khan and Daud Khan Khattak said that in the by-elections ANP would succeed because the people have seen that PTI government had done nothing up till now and they do not stand with the masses who voted for them whereas ANP always believed on working for the betterment of the people and they would continue to work for the betterment of the masses in the future.

Balochistan: '' A ‘Made-in-China’ Solution?''

The Baloch Hal

By Sanaullah Baloch

Balochistan’s dormant conflict was triggered by the exploitative nature of the multi-billion mega projects introduced by Musharraf. The general signed off on the Gwadar Port project and gave away the world’s best copper-gold project, Saindak, to the Chinese without a fair and transparent bidding process. To ensure the smooth and uninterrupted expropriation of Balochistan’s natural wealth he announced the construction of three military cantonments – furthering Baloch anger. The PPP regime, which came after Musharraf, put on hold the construction of garrisons but the multibillion dollar Saindak copper-gold deposit is being mined by the Chinese without any national or international monitoring. Against national and international rules, the Chinese company didn’t spend a single penny on human resource development, education, health and infrastructure in the concerned district, Chaghi. Musharraf’s glitzy mega-projects didn’t envisage any local participation and had no trickle-down effect. Instead of development, his defective policies led to the wholesale destruction of Baloch society, with political unrest and violence that resulted in a significant decline in social and development indicators. Regrettably, Pakistan’s newly-elected government is following the path taken by the former dictator, who unilaterally and insensitively took mega decisions concerning Balochistan’s sensitive projects. During his recent visit to China, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif signed several MoUs and agreements with the country. The majority of them strategically significant and profitable for the Chinese, these projects are in the conflict-stricken Balochistan region which has faced extreme violence and injustices particularly in the past few years. Apart from increased attacks by Baloch armed groups on fuel tankers bound to the Chinese-controlled Saindak copper-gold project, there hasn’t been any strong political response to PM Nawaz Sharif’s unilateral agreement with China on rails, roads, the Gwadar Port and natural resources. However, Baloch nationalists are cautiously observing the prime minister’s moves. No doubt, any miscalculation about Baloch grievances and their sensitivity towards mega projects will backfire. Energy-hungry China is not blamed for any of the miseries and dreadful social conditions in Balochistan. And the Chinese have not offered any political solution to nor discussed Balochistan’s appalling poverty, malnutrition, unemployment and many other social problems – simply because they are interested in Balochistan and the Baloch. China is a huge country with a massive population and is justified in looking for options and opportunities to sustain its economic growth and maintain political ‘stability’. The country is a risk-taker, and the Chinese are massively investing in very tricky projects in Africa. But one thing that our Pakistani politicians need to understand is that China’s investment and money are no guarantee for growth and political stability. In fact, these roads, rails and ports will be of little benefit to Pakistan and Balochistan. Simply, these rail and road links along with the Gwadar Port are there to accelerate growth and speedy access of Chinese products to west bound destinations – towards the Middle East, Africa and Europe. Apart from finished goods, these infrastructures would be of more use to China to transport Balochistan’s raw mineral resources, which include copper-gold and other rare-earth minerals. Thousands of kilometres of rails and roads were built during the British rule in Balochistan but these purpose-built roads and rails didn’t help bring education, social change and economic development. Such developments simply aimed to serve the interests of the colonial power – to facilitate colonisation, military deployments and economic exploitation. Before taking on such ambitious challenges, the prime minister and his team have to look for an out-of-the-box solution for Balochistan – nationally debated, consulted and implemented. China’s overwhelming presence, gigantic mining machines, crisscrossing railways and roads will have very little impact, if completed, on the lives of the Baloch people. Balochistan is going through an appalling human rights crisis – insecurity, law and order coupled with a surge of religious extremism which many believe is used as a tool to counter the Baloch national struggle. China has nothing to offer on these issues. It may have a solution for the country’s energy crisis, its crumbling railway and expropriation of resources. However, for peace, political stability and conflict resolution, PM Nawaz has to develop his own road map and demonstrate willingness to overhaul faulty and colonially-structured political, security and economic institutions that are unacceptable to the politically-conscious Baloch society. In an environment of mistrust, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif needs to address Balochistan’s chronic human rights crisis on a fast track. His government must powerfully unmask the real elements of the powerful security establishment that are benefiting from self-created chaos and disorder and are unwilling for any political settlement to be reached. Putting it in very simple terms: there is no ‘made in China’ solution for Balochistan.

Pakistan: Move by Supreme Court and ECP was a first step towards reintroduction of “one unit”

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Speaking on a point of order in upper house of parliament, Raza Rabbani, who was PPP’s presidential nominee, categorically said the move by Supreme Court and ECP was a first step towards reintroduction of “one unit”, which would certainly widen the gap between centre and provinces. The PPP fully backed by Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and Balochistan National Party-Awami (BNP-A), clayed ECP for its failure to exercise its constitutional powers, and said it always sought refuge in the lap of apex court in matters of national importance. “The ECP earlier rejected the PML-N request for rescheduling the presidential election, but at the same it also said that if the apex court directs it, there is no harm in following the directives [and] this is what it [ECP] did after the court announced its verdict without issuing notices to other presidential candidates,” he added. Rabbani said the decision to boycott the presidential election against SC was made in protest “meddling” into the jurisdiction of ECP at the behest of ruling party, adding the commission had fixed August 6 for the presidential poll by exercising its powers under Article 41 of the constitution, but it abruptly agreed to change the schedule without any objection. He said the PPP participated in the election campaign with all seriousness and contacted all opposition parties, adding that his party also made efforts for fielding a joint candidate. “But we were left with no option but to boycott the election,” said Rabbani, adding that Supreme Court did not issue any notice, nor did they hear the PPP or provide it an opportunity to present its point of view, “rather a unilateral decision was made. We see it as part of moves to strengthen the centre’ once again,” he maintained. Rabbani said the Supreme Court decision made it difficult for him and other opposition candidates to carry out campaigns in four provincial capitals and the federal capital in just two days. He said they hoped the Election Commission would function independently after the 18th Amendment as it was the ECP’s responsibility to announce the election schedule and hold the poll. The PPP leader said the party’s decision to boycott the presidential election was a part of struggle against military and civilian dictatorships.