Maintaining law, order during Muharram govt’s top priority: Shahbaz

Sunday, October 20, 2013
From Print Edition

LAHORE: Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif said on Saturday that nothing could be more important for the government than maintenance of law and order and all required resources would be provided for the purpose.

The chief minister issued directions to improve security arrangements during Muharram-ul-Haram, saying no effort should be spared for the protection of life and property of the people.

Presiding over a high level meeting with regard to security arrangements during Muharram-ul-Haram on Saturday, the chief minister issued directions to constitute a cabinet committee, headed by the provincial law minister, for reviewing security arrangements and ensuring implementation of security plan during Muharram-ul-Haram. He directed the cabinet committee to visit entire province and review the security plan evolved for the purpose. He said that his helicopter would also be available for the visits of the cabinet committee.

Provincial Law Minister Rana Sanaullah Khan, the chief secretary, the secretaries of Home, Law and Information Departments, the Inspector General Police, the Commissioner, the District Coordination Officer and the CCPO of Lahore and officers concerned also attended the meeting.

The chief minister said that the country was passing through the most critical juncture and the enemy was hatching conspiracies to harm the country’s sovereignty. He said that the entire nation would have to be united for foiling the nefarious designs of anti-state elements.

The chief minister said that Muharram-ul-Haram was approaching and all institutions concerned should be ready for making security arrangements, leaving no stone unturned in this regard. He called for arrangements to ensure security during Muharram-ul-Haram.

Shahbaz Sharif said that the punctuality of timings schedule and routes of the processions should be ensured at every cost which was utmost essential for the maintenance of law and order and protection of Azadaars. He said that a four-tier security cordon should be made, CCTV cameras installed on the routes and walk-through gates, jammers, generators, lights and other necessary items arranged from now.

The chief minister said that implementation of ban on display of weapons should be ensured and strict action taken against the violators. He said that indiscriminate action should be taken against those making provocative speeches, distributing and publishing hatred material.

The Chief Secretary, the Home Secretary and the Inspector General Police gave detailed briefings regarding security arrangements during Muharram-ul-Haram.

Bilawal takes an unseasonal swipe

| Uses Karsaz blast anniversary speech to rap PML-N, MQM, PTI | Says PPP sacrificed over 100 seats to save workers’ lives

October 19, 2013

FARAZ ISRAR

KARACHI – In a fiery speech, the tone and timings of which would otherwise befit the election season, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari on Friday vowed to wipe out political rivals in the next general elections due to be held as far as 2018.
Sleeves rolled up, the scion of Benazir Bhutto and former President Asif Ali Zardari said the PPP will rescue KPK people from tsunami (of the PTI). “The Lion (election symbol of PML-N) will be hunted and the Kite (election symbol of MQM) will be cut,” Bilawal said in a style peculiar to his late grandfather Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
Bilawal was addressing a gathering of the party workers on the 6th anniversary of the Karsaz tragedy.
About his party’s defeat in the last general elections, the PPP chairman said that his party sacrificed over 100 seats to save the lives of its workers. He didn’t elaborate, but perhaps he was alluding to the low-key election campaign of the party owing to security threats.
Terming PPP a party of courageous workers and martyrs, he lashed out at the three major political parties of country – PML-N, PTI and MQM. He said that the return of Benazir Bhutto boosted up the celebration on this day, October 18, in 2007. He recalled that the city of Karachi was on its feet to welcome their leader and the atmosphere was charged with the slogans of Jiyae Bhutto (long live Bhutto). At that time Tehreek-e-Taliban carried out a suicide attack on Benazir Bhutto’s convoy. The devoted and brave party workers did not succumb, and sacrificed their lives for their great leader, he said.
Bilawal said the PPP is not only a political party but a passion and a symbol of commitment. He said the PPP is a party of the slain Salman Taseer and Shahbaz Bhatti.
Salman was the Punjab’s governor in the last PPP government when he was shot dead. Shahbaz, the minorities’ minister, was also gunned down.
The PPP chairman said party workers and leaders had been sacrificing their lives for the restoration of democracy in the country. “PPP has proved that it is the only party the leaders and workers of which can sacrifice lives and stand with the people in difficult times,” he said.
“We do admit that we could not eliminate terrorists completely form the country. But we made it clear that we fought terrorists with courage, crippling them to a large extent,” he added.
Bilawal said that Dr Tahirul Qadri staged a drama and took Islamabad hostage, but it was the PPP government that peacefully resolved the issue with political wisdom. While in the current government of PML-N, one armed person did the same and once again a brave jiyala freed the capital and the standoff came to an end, he said in a reference to the lone armed man, Sikandar, and PPP leader Zamurd Khan who attempted to grapple him in the final moments of the standoff.
“With commitment, enthusiasm and support of the poor people of Pakistan, we will hunt the Lion in the next elections in 2018 and rescue the people of KPK who at present are drowning in the tsunami and simultaneously facing terrorism,” Bilawal said. Criticising MQM, the PPP chairman said that it seems that Karachi has become a colony of London.
He paid rich tributes to the victims of the Karsaz blast and offered fateha for those who laid down their lives on the 18th October 2007.
Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah, addressing the ceremony, said that observance of the martyr’s anniversary was unique in the sense that “today we are here with PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, the son of slain Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto, who herself came here to pay rich tributes to the martyrs of the Oct 18th 2007”. He said that Benazir Bhutto was also a unique leader of Pakistan who despite having life threats returned to free the country from the clutches of dictatorship and to restore the rights of the poor people.
He said that Benazir Bhutto set an example of unique bravery when she reached the hospitals of the city after the attack on her convoy at Karsaz.
He said that the matchless sacrifices rendered by the PPP leaders and workers for the cause of the nation, would be remembered by the people of Pakistan and the subcontinent for centuries. He said that this relation of PPP with workers makes it undefeatable in the hearts of the masses.
PPP leaders Waqar Mehdi and Raza Rabbani also spoke on the occasion and paid rich tributes to the martyrs. They were of the view that it was only PPP which possess true, brave and committed workers and is strong enough to resolve people’s problems.
They said the sacrifice of PPP workers and leaders would not go waste, but will become a source of encouragement for other workers to defend democracy.
Sharjeel Memon, Syed Owais Muzaffar, Mukesh Chawla, Qadir Patel, Rashid Rabbani, Muhammad Siddique Abu Bhai, Najmi Alam, Saeed Chawla, Sohail Abidi, MPA Hasnain Mirza and other party leaders and workers were also present on the occasion.
Later, the PPP chairman visited the under-treatment injured people of Balochistan earthquake at Jinnah Hospital, Karachi. Bilawal visited the patients bed to bed, assuring them of every possible help. He also presented cheques for their rehabilitation and prayed for their early recovery.
Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah, Senator Raza Rabbani, Sindh Minister Syed Owais Muzaffar (Tappi), Sherry Rehman and other PPP leaders accompanied him.
It is pertinent to mention here that six years have passed since the Karsaz tragedy when a massive bomb attack on Benazir Bhutto’s caravan killed 177 people and left over 500 injured, but investigation into the incident is yet to be made public and the culprits brought to book.

KPK cabinet approves anti-terror task force

October 18, 2013, 1:00 pm

INP

Following the death of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) law minister Israrullah Gandapur in a suicide attack, the KPK cabinet in a special meeting on Thursday approved tough decisions to control the law and order situation in the province.
A special meeting of the KPK cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, approved the establishment of an anti-terrorism task force which will be led by the Inspector General of Police and comprise members of all law enforcement and intelligence agencies including Army, Frontier Corps and Frontier Constabulary.
The cabinet has also demanded of the center to return the Frontier Constabulary’s platoons back to the province so that they can be deployed at sensitive places for controlling law and order and fighting terrorism.
The cabinet in another decision called upon the federal government to pace up the peace talks process as KPK is facing the brunt of terrorist attacks. It also ordered monitoring of all Afghan refugees living in the capital and deportation of those found to be involved in any criminal activity.
The cabinet has also ordered property dealers to submit data of the tenants living in rented houses in the city to detect terrorists and criminal elements.
Inspector General Police briefed the Cabinet about security situation and steps taken for security of lives and property of public.
Earlieré the Cabinet offered fateha for the martyrs of D.I. Khan suicide attack including Provincial Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs Israrullah Khan Gandapur.
Addressing the Cabinet Minister Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pervez Khattak said that in case the proposed dialogue failed to produce a solution, some other option will have to be dug out.
Earlier, talking to media persons Pervez Khattak said that simultaneous mention of peace talks and fight was beyond his understanding.
He regretted that despite the fact that participants across the board endorsed peace talks at the All Parties Conference, peace could not be restored to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.

Pakistan bomb: Imran Khan condemns murder of Israrullah Gandapur

Mr Khan said that Israrullah Gandapur had been ‘martyred’

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) leader Imran Khan has condemned the killing on Wednesday of a provincial law minister and at least seven others in the north-west of the country.

Mr Khan said that he was “devastated” by the suicide bomb attack which killed Israrullah Gandapur.

The PTI governs Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a militant stronghold, and backs talks with the militants.

Mr Khan called for those responsible to be caught as soon as possible.

The bomber struck as the minister was greeting locals inside his residence in Kulachi village, 40km (25 miles) west of Dera Ismail Khan, on the first day of the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

Mr Gandapur was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died on the way. More than 30 people were wounded.

Mr Gandapur’s party backs talks with the Pakistani Taliban

In a statement on his party’s website, Mr Khan said that he was “stunned” by Mr Gandapur’s death.

The former Pakistani international cricketer said that he and Mr Gandapur had enjoyed watching a game together in Peshawar on Sunday.

“My prayers go to Israr’s wife, his two children and his parents,” Mr Khan said.

He called on the provincial government to bring the killers speedily to justice while at the same time urging the central government not “to drift into inaction” following a conference in September in which various political parties agreed that Pakistan should pursue negotiations with the Taliban while at the same time seeking an end to US drone strikes.

Last week the Pakistani Taliban leader told the BBC he was “open to talks” but would continue to target the US and its allies.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack. Mr Gandapur is expected to be buried on Thursday in Kulachi.

He is the most senior member of the PTI to be killed in a wave of attacks which have left hundreds of people dead in recent months.

The PTI posed a strong challenge to the Pakistan Muslim League which won general elections in May.

It narrowly failed to become the country’s official opposition but did win most votes in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The party advocates starting peace talks with the Taliban, and also opposes US drone attacks on targets inside Pakistan.

Correspondents say those policy initiatives helped Imran Khan win votes but he is now under pressure for wanting to talk to militants who are accused of carrying out the bombings.

Pakistan has seen a wave of bombings in recent weeks, much of it centred on the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa capital, Peshawar, where more than 100 people were killed in three attacks in the space of a week late last month.

Eid-ul-Azha being celebrated with religious

fervour and solemnity

Eid-ul-Azha is being celebrated today (Wednesday) with religious fervour and solemnity to commemorate the supreme sacrifice offered by Hazrat Ibrahim (AS).
The Eid prayers were offered at Eidgahs‚ mosques and open places across the country where Ulema and Khateebs highlighted significance and philosophy of the sacrifice of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS).
Special prayers were offered for the prosperity of the country.
After Eid prayers‚ the faithful are offering sacrifices of animals in accordance with the Sunnah of Hazrat Ibrahim (AS).