State institutions should act as per law: Mamnoon

 

ISLAMABAD: President Mamnoon Hussain on Monday said that the state institutions must work within the parameters laid down in law and the Constitution as political likes and dislikes should be made a yardstick in the discharge of respective responsibilities.
He said that the spirit of democracy is reconciliation, forgiveness, tolerance and mutual cooperation and not confrontation, conflict and revenge.“With our experience and observations, we have realised that democracy is not the name of confrontation, conflict, opposition for the sake of opposition or revenge but the spirit of democracy is reconciliation, forgiveness, tolerance and mutual cooperation,” said President Mamnoon Hussain in his maiden address to the joint sitting of the two houses of parliament at the start of the new parliamentary year.

The three services chiefs, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, chief ministers of Punjab, Balochistan and Sindh and foreign envoys also heard the speech of the president from the visitors galleries.

He maintained that it was the peak of democracy to respect the opinion of majority, to give precedence to national institutions over individuals, and national interests should be given priority over the interests of the respective parties.

The president pointed out that the government did not believe in any restrictions on the media, however, it also expected of the media to formulate a code of conduct for itself and implement it in letter and spirit. This would enhance national honour and people would consider the media as true representative of their hopes and aspirations.He said that the media in Pakistan was also playing a role as a watchdog and in monitoring and no doubt it was free and its example was an example for many countries.

President Mamnoon Hussain observed that cooperation and understanding among the state institutions was critically needed at this juncture of time. “At a time when our enemies are actively working to create conflict and discord among us, we need to maintain unity and confidence among our lives,” he said.

Mamnoon especially accosted the state institutions saying that they should perform their duties according to the country’s laws and they should not make political likes and dislikes as their standard. “In the eyes of law and the Constitution, people of all areas are equal as their language, race, political inclination and family connections have secondary importance,” he said.

He said, “Every citizen of sacred homeland is Pakistani first and any secondary identity comes later. The lesson of equality taught by Islam is universal and the eternal message should be practically visible in Pakistan,” he said.

The president said in Pakistan, supremacy of Constitution and progress of democracy had become inter-dependent and solution to all the problems had to be sought while remaining within the established constitutional framework and that it was the Constitution which allocated the role for all the parliamentary and political forces. “This is the constitutional framework through which Federation and all federal constituents have to collectively find solution to their problems and have to work together for the people’s progress and prosperity,” he said.

He said it was a matter of satisfaction that all the state institutions were performing their duties with consummate harmony and devotion.

He said the armed forces were defending and protecting borders of the country very proficiently and other defence institutions were working diligently day and night while the whole nation was proud of them.

He said the armed forces were not only protecting the frontiers but they now were also performing important functions to ensure internal security. “They rendered matchless sacrifices for securing our future and we honour their sacrifices,” he said.

He also paid tribute to the sacrifices given by the people especially of Fata who had always been in the forefront for the defence of the country.

The president said the supremacy of the Constitution had become inter-dependent and solution to all the problems had to be sought while remaining within the established constitutional framework.

He said democratic transition and sustainability was not only a national requirement, but also important for national security, dignity and political identity. He stressed further promotion of reconciliatory approach to move the country forward.

The president lauded the vibrant role of civil society and called upon it to give consideration to the law of the country, national tradition, temperament of society and feelings of the masses while performing their role.

He said it was a matter of satisfaction that minorities were enjoying equal rights in Pakistan and they were not facing any discriminatory attitude, observing the role of minorities in the development and construction of the country was really laudable.

Mamnoon Hussain lauded the efforts of the government in strengthening the national economy and its efforts to overcome the energy crisis. He hoped that the government would be successful in overcoming these challenges soon.

The president said the government also took a bold initiative and launched a dialogue with the Taliban to bring peace and hoped this process would lead the country to the logical end.

Referring to Pakistan’s relations with other countries, the president said that they wanted brotherly and friendly relations with all the neighbours on the principle of sovereignty and equality. He said the visit of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to New Delhi was also a step forward to normalise relations with the neighbour to bring peace and stability in the region.

The president said Pakistan wanted a negotiated settlement of Kashmir dispute according to the UN Security Council resolutions and aspirations of the people of Kashmir.

He said Pakistan gave priority to its relations with China and realised that friendship between two countries was not merely a traditional diplomatic bond but in present times it had become a live metaphor of exemplary and eternal relationship. In reality, the whole global community realised that Pakistan and China were like two bodies and one soul in the real sense.

He said Pakistan was grateful to the European Union for providing it access to their markets.

President Mamnoon Hussain said realistic and pragmatic policies of the government for the development and prosperity of the country had enhanced the country’s esteem and respect in the international community. “Owing to these policies, statesmen from various countries besides representatives of international organisations and investors from all over the world are expressing their desire to work with Pakistan and invest here in various sectors,” he mentioned.

President Mamnoon said today observers and analysts from all over the civilised world were looking to Pakistan because, for the first time in 66 years of history, one democratic government completed its constitutional term and now another democratic government had completed its one year successfully.

He highlighted various schemes and projects launched by the government to generate employment for the youth. He appreciated the government for launching various schemes to help the youth and educate them which would help improve their skills and ultimately would benefit the country.

He said during the last one year, the government’s achievements were extremely impressive which included an increase in gross national production, continuous decrease in budget deficit, successful launch of Euro Bond, European Union grant of GSP Plus status to Pakistan, increase in remittances and increase in export of textile products.

The president said to continue the economic growth and development, ending of loadshedding was inevitable and lauded the steps taken by the government to solve this issue.

CPJ asks Pemra not to act against Geo on spurious complaint

ISLAMABAD: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), like many other organisations inside and outside the country, says that it is greatly concerned by actions brought by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) against the Geo TV.

While the ISI has a string of failures in its record, the most glaring that of being unaware about the presence of Osama Bin Laden in the vicinity of Kakul for six years, it has the audacity now to ask for the closure of Geo television.

“In its complaint to the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority, the ISI accused Geo’s parent company, the Independent Media Corporation, of conducting a false and scandalous campaign undermining the integrity and tarnishing the image of state institution (ISI) and its officers,” says the CPJ.

The media regulator has the authority to shut down broadcasters based on such complaints, and has done so under previous administrations of Pakistan.“We call on the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority not to act on this spurious complaint, and we call on Pakistan’s security services to recognise the critical role of the media and exercise tolerance and maturity,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia programme coordinator. “The ISI is free to rebut allegations in the media but should not try to censor coverage.”

Tension between Pakistan’s military and intelligence communities and much of the media swiftly escalated following an assassination attempt on Geo TV anchor Hamid Mir on April 19. Mir was hit with six rounds from assailants on motorcycles as his car was travelling between Karachi’s airport and the centre of the city. Mir is severely wounded and recovering in a hospital. Geo TV has broadcast accusations that the ISI was involved in the murder attempt, adds the statement.

Harassment by the ISI against journalists is a matter of record and it is a rare journalist who has not been threatened by the ISI in their career. Journalists murdered in the past had made it known in their lifetime that if anything happened to them, the ISI would be responsible.

It is time for the ISI to take a hard long look at itself to try and find out why it is resented so strongly by independent journalists.It would also help matters if the army chief, instead of fire fighting and running to the support of various army institutes, begins to believe unarmed journalists who have serious complaints against the ISI for several decades now.

COAS must act to end retaliatory steps from various segments: APNS

KARACHI: Hameed Haroon, the President of the All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS), appealed to Chief of the Army Staff (COAS) General Raheel Sharif to rein in the knee-jerk retaliatory measures that had been initiated by various segments of the armed forces.

“This will lessen any public misperceptions with respect to what the security establishment sees as its principled stand in the matter. It is grossly unfair that Lt Gen Zaheerul Islam or any other member of the security establishment be presumed guilty unless the substance of such guilt can be irrefutably proved in a commission of enquiry. If he is found innocent, the media group found guilty of publishing and broadcasting such allegations against him must tender an unqualified apology as per the valid international norms that govern such situations.”

He expressed concern that “the freedom of the press envisioned in Article 19 of the Constitution of Pakistan is now facing the gravest threat it has encountered in the past decade, and if press freedoms are allowed to deteriorate further, irreversible damage will be

inflicted on Pakistan’s democracy and the constitutionally stipulated freedoms associated with it”.

According to a press release, he emphasised that apart from the dangers of targeting the lives of journalists by extremist elements in the country, a dangerous drift towards anarchy has reared its ugly head in the past week where the unbridled behaviour on the part of certain sections of the security establishment and the media, coupled with confused signals emanating from the government, have resulted in damaging the freedom of expression and the freedom of press enshrined in the Constitution.

“The signs on the horizon are clear. The fundamental problem appears to be that every one of the principal players involved in this crisis is responsible for a saddening deterioration of public affairs. The apparent undue haste with which the Independent Media Corporation and the Independent Newspaper Corporation, the twin media firms controlling the Geo-Jang group, pointed an accusatory finger at the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) as being complicit in what can only be described as a murderous attack upon television anchor and columnist Hamid Mir, is only one part of the problem. The promptness with which the ISI through its Deputy Director General responded with a complaint through the Defence Ministry to Pemra to seek revocation of the broadcasting licences and the declarations of the GEO-Jang group, has clearly demonstrated that the institution of the armed forces has acted in haste and has not critically examined the validity of their positions nor of subsequent actions that have stemmed from a misconceived interpretation of press laws.”

“At first the government appeared to be dealing wisely with the new threat to press freedoms posed by the murderous attacks on Raza Rumi in Lahore and Hamid Mir in Karachi. The Prime Minister of Pakistan, Mian Nawaz Sharif, speedily acted to form a judicial commission to investigate the attempt on Mir’s life at the highest level. One would have thought with an appropriate high-level commission of enquiry, composed of the superior judiciary, any investigation of the incident of the attempt on Hamid Mir’s life appeared to be in capable hands.

“However, within a day of the prime minister’s announcement, the ISI through the Defence Ministry called for the revocation of the licenses and declarations of the GEO-Jang group, with Pemra officials making suitably supportive statements. Thus despite a wise move by the prime minister to constitute a commission immediately, the guilt of the offending party had been prejudged, well in advance of the verdict.”

“Clearly the need of the hour is to immediately force a cooling down of tempers in all sections of the state and security apparatus as well as, critically, within the media itself. If we are to speak of ensuring the ‘preservation of the sovereignty, security and integrity of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan’ then the imperative is for all contending parties to exercise restraint.”

“Additionally, the damage in this potentially explosive powder-keg needs to be contained. The Judicial Commission of Enquiry should begin work immediately and avail of the services of Hamid Mir, among others, to reach a satisfactory conclusion as to which persons were responsible for engineering this attempt. Only when the findings are made public can it be determined whether the management and journalists of the newspaper (who have both been alleged as complicit in a slander campaign according to the ISI complaint to the Defence Ministry), were justified in levelling their early allegations. Nor would it be just to proceed with any retaliatory actions against this media group, awaiting the results of the high-level judicial enquiry that has been instituted. Such a travesty of justice is not becoming for any credible democracy.”

“In the meantime I also appeal to all sections of the media to exercise credible restraint and desist from publishing or broadcasting any statement which might be considered prima facie as defamatory or slanderous either against the ISI chief or against the media group.

“Concurrently it is imperative for the prime minister and the federal minister for information to immediately commence a formal dialogue with all the major national bodies - the APNS, the CPNE, the PBA and the PFUJ - to attempt to provide a meaningful framework in which journalists can tell the truth and be protected from life-threats while doing so. This alone will ensure the ordered functioning of a nascent democracy and encourage the government to clamp down with unbridled severity on the spiralling incidents of violence against the media.”

Musharraf always said emergency was not his individual act, says lawyer

ISLAMABAD: Talking to Geo News on Friday, Barrister Farogh Nasim has said that from the beginning Pervez Musharraf’s stand was that the imposition of emergency was not his individual decision. If any of his lawyers had said against it in the Supreme Court, it is not Musharraf’s stand.

He said the Pakistan Army has to decide that imposition of emergency by Pervez Musharraf was his individual act or was driven from “institutional suggestion”.

Ansar Abbasi alleged that Naseem issued this statement to save his client. He said the army could save Musharraf only through martial law which will leave the country in trouble. He said Altaf Hussain of the MQM has already demanded Martial Law through different ways.

He said army is not a group of 500,000 troops but it is an army of 180 million people. He said the army should take into consideration its perception among the masses if the army gets itself involved in Musharraf case.

He said the legal way for Musharraf goes through the court. He said Musharraf’s lawyers have objections to the judiciary and intend to put the army against the judiciary and the parliament which would ultimately lead to Martial Law.

Ferogh Nasim said his statement that the army should save its chief the way lawyers saved the former chief justice meant to highlight the context in which the lawyers launched their movement.

He said the army should eliminate doubts surrounding the debate if the emergency was an individual’s or institution’s decision. He said all matters related to Musharraf should be settled within the ambit of the constitution. He said he did not talk of Martial Law and the army has constitutional and legal remedies to offer Musharraf when the time comes.

He questioned on what basis Abbasi is saying that Musharraf’s lawyers are talking aboutm Martial Law while what all they say is that constitutional and legal methods should be applied to save Musharraf.

He said Musharraf was the army chief when Martial Law was imposed on October 12 1999 but the history should be traced back to 1950s. He said the SC has written in its detailed order that Musharraf’s lawyers have admitted that imposition of emergency was his individual act whereas neither he, nor his client, has ever adopted this stance. He said Musharraf has always stated that he has aced upon the advice given to him on this matter.

Two majors to be tried under Army Act

 

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Balochistan government to furnish today (Wednesday) a detailed report on the DNA tests of human bodies recovered from a suspected mass grave in the Khuzdar district.
The top court sought the report during the hearing of the Balochistan law and order, missing persons and mass grave cases by a three-member bench headed by Justice Nasir-ul-Mulk.The Chief Justice of Pakistan, Justice Tassaduq Hussain Jillani, had taken suo moto notice of a news report that carried a statement of Chairman of Voice of Baloch Missing Persons Nasrullah Baloch, seeking a judicial probe into the mass graves.

Nasrullah said three of the identified bodies were of those mentioned in the missing persons’ list. Justice Nasir observed that the court had passed the orders on March 7 and it was now the end of the month but no progress had been shown so far.

Meanwhile, the counsel for the Frontier Constabulary (FC), Balochistan, Irfan Qadir, informed the court that he had met the AG Balochistan Nizamuddin, who informed him that the provincial government had requisitioned the federal government to try army officials Major Saif and Major Moin under the Army Act. He said the two officials were definitely going to be tried under the Army Act.

The advocate general told the court that two meetings were held on the missing persons’ issue on March 18 and 24.Justice Amir Hani Muslim asked if the Balochistan chief secretary had participated in the meeting. The AG replied in the negative.

Justice Nasir asked how many times the case would be adjourned. “Time and again anopportunity was given to the provincial administration but no solution has been found out yet, although the case has been pending since 2010,” he added.

To another query, the advocate general told the court that the tribunal had not so far finalised its investigation into the verification of bodies recovered from Khuzdar. The court adjourned the hearing till today (Wednesday).

Meanwhile, the Defence Ministry is likely to submit a medical report to the Supreme Court on a missing person, Tasif Malik, today.A three-member bench of the apex court, headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk, will hear the case on Thursday (tomorrow).

Earlier, the court was told that a meeting had been arranged between Tasif Malik and his wife Dr Abida Malik.However, the counsel for Tasif Malik, Colonel (retd) Inamur Raheem, requested the court for Malik’s medical check-up.

I can act, sing: Ayushmann on his biggest plus point

 

Ayushmann Khurrana, who made a fruitful debut with "Vicky Donor" and is now looking forward to "Bewakoofiyaan", says he sees no "competitor" in the Hindi film industry. He further believes that he has a major plus point in the fact that he can act as well as sing.

Bollywood currently has a whole lot of young blood, and when asked who does he consider as a competitor from among the likes of Ranbir Kapoor and Ranveer Singh, Ayushmann said: "There is no competitor as such. I think my biggest plus point is that I am an actor and singer as well."

"As far as Ranbir Kapoor is concerned, he is my senior and I like his work," added the multi-faceted talent, who was earlier a video jockey.

 Why is Ayushmann Khurrana singing on road

The actor who got married at a very early age says he is happy about that.

In "Bewakoofiyaan", Ayushmann features with Sonam Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor.

The senior Kapoor's presence in a movie can be unnerving for some, but Ayushmann is not a wee bit nervous about being overshadowed.

"I have huge respect for Rishi Kapoor. He is playing a prominent role in the film, but I don't think I will get overshadowed because at the end of the day, Sonam and I are playing the heroine and hero, respectively, in the film," he said.