India says UN has no role to play in Kashmir

ISLAMABAD: The Narendra Modi government thinks the United Nations Military Observer Group (UNMOGIP) has no longer any role to play between Pakistan and India and has ordered it to vacate the government premises where they have been located free of charge for 40 years.

The free lunch is over, the UN has been told. Indian media reports say that the UN has been clearly told that “the UNMOGIP’s role has been overtaken by the Simla Agreement and the consequent establishment of the Line of Control. New Delhi is of the view that the UNMOGIP has no relevance or role to play whatsoever.”

The Foreign Office did not want to comment on media reports but the spokesperson told The News: “Even if true, such moves do not change the reality.”Meanwhile, an Indian official was quoted as saying: “They should stay in Srinagar and do what they want. In case they want to be stationed in Delhi, they should hire premises in a private property and not occupy the government property.”

It is only Pakistan that has time and again proposed to India to involve the UNMOGIP over disputes at the LoC as they are neutral observers and the ongoing blame game that follows skirmishes could come to an end.

But a strange philosophy governs New Delhi, where officially the UNMOGIP has offices in New Delhi and Srinagar with their mandate well known, but India refuses to involve them in any manner in disputes with Pakistan saying they do not want the third party involvement.

In keeping with the hawkish line that Modi has taken on Kashmir, it will not be long before the UNMOGIP office in Srinagar is also wrapped up.INP adds: According to Indian Express, the South Block has asked the UNMOGIP to vacate the bungalow — 1AB, Purana Qila Road — which has been serving as its office for the last four decades. The government accommodation — a Type VII bungalow, about 7,000 square feet — was allotted to the UN mission “free of charge”.

The UNMOGIP, established under a UN Security Council Resolution, was meant to supervise the ceasefire line established under the Karachi Agreement of July 1949.

When contacted, UNMOGIP’s Military Information Officer Major Tomas Malm, who is based in Srinagar, confirmed that the government has asked them to vacate the premises. “UNMOGIP’s response is to relocate to another location in Delhi,” he said. Asked if they have been told the reason for this directive, he said, “The Indian authorities’ reason is unknown to UNMOGIP.”Asked if the move reflected New Delhi’s stand towards the UNMOGIP, he said, “You have to ask the Indian government regarding their attitude towards us.”

Qadri tells followers he has returned to fight the war for Pakistan

LAHORE : Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahir-ul-Qadri says that even in the face of political highhandedness, he is present among his people.

Addressing his party workers and followers at the Minhaj-ul-Quran International secretariat in Lahore, Qadri paid high accolades to the independent electronic and print media in Pakistan terming them his “revolutionary army” adding that now the world will witness the Pakistani revolution.

The PAT chief added that the Almighty has given him wealth, respect and recognition but he has come to Pakistan for the people of this country whose future has become bleak due to the corrupt system.

He told his followers that soon the government will be toppled and the leaders will be held accountable, taunting that he can be killed but the revolution will not be stopped.

He termed the present leaders thugs and criminals, taunting again that his war is with them and the fight will continue till only a victor is left standing.

Tahir-ul-Qadri promised his followers that he will not let the corrupt leadership flee from the country; he will hold them accountable and send them behind bars.

He announced that after consultations with political forces he will give the final call for the revolution.

Dr Qadri says he is ready for martyrdom, govt has panicked

 

LONDON: PAT leader Dr Tahir-ul-Qadri said on Sunday that the government was terrified of his arrival in Pakistan and had begun a massive crackdown on his followers across Punjab.
But he stressed that he was going to Pakistan to strengthen ‘genuine democracy’ that he claimed does not exist in Pakistan today.Before his departure for Pakistan via Dubai on Sunday afternoon, Dr Qadri said “thousands” of his workers had been arrested illegally by the police.

“Tens of thousands had planned to reach Islamabad Airport to greet me and to welcome my agenda of revolution for a better Pakistan but the government has panicked. It has used state machinery to usurp the rights of my supporters. All they wanted was to express theirdemocratic right of free expression. They have been punished for that.”Speaking to The News at the Heathrow airport, Dr Qadri said he was ready for martyrdom, if needed.

“I am going to Pakistan for Pakistan’s betterment, to help the Pakistani armed forces in their fight against terrorism; I want to bring about a positive change through non-violent means. Millions of people across Pakistan want to see a change in their lives and the way they are being governed. I am not power-hungry; I don’t need ministries or money. My agenda is simple. But the government is acting like a dictatorship and has acted in a brutal manner. Our activity centres have been shut down and our leading activists have either been kidnapped or arrested and beaten. This is a violation of our rights.”

Dr Qadri appealed to the army to take notice of the situation and intervene. “I call on the Pakistan Army to see what’s happening to our workers when they have committed no crime. I have no hope of justice from these rulers. They are insecure because their mandate is fake and they are relying on state power to crush our democratic movement for a peaceful revolution.”

When asked if he had passed his concerns directly to anyone in the military establishment and whether it was the right thing to do to attempt to get the army involved in political tussles, Dr Qadri told The News that he had not had any direct contact with the military.

“I am passing my concerns to the military through the media. I have not made any direct contact and I believe in saying things publicly without doing deals at night. I have nothing to hide; my agenda is for all to see.”

Dr Qadri said he had serious threats to his life. “I don’t care about my personal safety, life and death. If they want to hurt me, they should hurt me in any way they want. But don’t attack and torture my followers and activists who have been peaceful all along.

“After the killings of our innocent workers in Model Town, we could have easily taken the law into our own hands but we believe in the peaceful teachings of Islam. We are being punished for being pro-peace. This is unacceptable and should not be allowed. What is happening is a violation of Pakistani laws. We want intervention of the Pakistan Army in this matter.”

Dr Qadri left his east London home at 10 am for Heathrow airport.Around 300 supporters of Dr Qadri had arrived at the airport to say farewell to him. They chanted slogans upon his arrival and offered prayers for him.

Dr Qadri showed to The News a copy of his Pakistani passport and national ID card (NICOP) which he was using to travel to Pakistan via Dubai.“I am by birth a Pakistani and have every right to get involved in Pakistani politics in any way I want. These rulers cannot stop me and cannot tell me what to do.”

Elders fear government has decided to launch NWA operation

 

PESHAWAR: The recent talks between the government and North Waziristan tribal jirga in Peshawar proved a futile exercise as both sides had reportedly stuck to their demands that made the jirga members understand that the government was going to launch a full-scale military operation, said a senior member of the jirga, Hafiz Noorullah Shah.
“In our meetings with the corps commander and later with the government, the only thing we noted was the government has made up its mind to conduct a military operation in North Waziristan,” said Hafiz Noorullah Shah, a cleric who runs a madrassa in Miranshah, the headquarters of North Waziristan.

Earlier, another member of the jirga, Maulana Gul Ramazan had stated that the government had given them a two-week deadline to expel all foreign militants from North Waziristan and the government would not use force there.

However, Hafiz Noorullah Shah seemed quite disappointed and said they were going to Waziristan to bring their families and valuables out of the tribal region as, according to him, the government was preparing for the operation there.

Talking to this correspondent on phone while on his way to Miranshah, he said they demanded of the government to remove the recently installed five military observation posts in Mir Ali and Miranshah, which, according to him, had caused unrest among the local tribespeople and Taliban leadership.

Hafiz Noorullah Shah said that the government had agreed with them to remove the military observation posts but the jirga would need to expel all foreign and non-local Pakistani militants from the tribal region.

The jirga members had spent two days, Friday and Saturday, in hectic meetings mostly with senior military officials in Peshawar and tried their best to convince the military authorities and government to issue a statement that they would not launch a military operation so that the tribespeople could stop fleeing their houses and villages.

Tribal elder Haji Sher Mohammad Wazir, the grandson of late freedom fighter Mirza Ali Khan alias the Faqir of Ipi, and a religious leader Maulana Gul Ramazan, had led the tribal jirga that comprised tribal elders and clerics.On Saturday evening, the North Waziristan Taliban leader Hafiz Gul Bahadur called some of the jirga members and wanted to learn from them about the outcome of their meetings with the governor and corps commander.

“Obviously we didn’t have good news for the Taliban shura and the people of Waziristan. Hafiz Gul Bahadur agreed that foreign people had to leave the tribal region for the sake of the people but not at this time when the government had put a gun to his head,” Hafiz Noorullah Shah explained.

Fearing a military operation, the local Taliban had asked tribespeople to shift their families out of Waziristan before June 10. Also, they had asked the tribespeople to avoid taking shelter in the government-run camps meant for the internally displaced persons (IDPs) and advised them to go to neighbouring Afghanistan, if fighting erupted.

Asked whether the Taliban would extend the deadline, Hafiz Noorullah Shah said the Taliban shura wasn’t satisfied with the meetings between the jirga and government, therefore they should extend the June 10 deadline.

According to sources, the military authorities and particularly the Corps Commander Peshawar Lt Gen Khalid Rabbani had made it clear to the jirga members that the time has come they should realise their responsibilities as elders after signing a peace accord with the government in 2006-7 and pledged that they would be responsible for maintaining order and would not allow foreigners to stay there.

In the past, the tribal elders after sensing military action would come to Peshawar and Islamabad and make promises of taking action against foreigners and under tribal traditions would succeed in avoiding the use of force there.

This time, the jirga members admitted that the tone of the government and military officials had changed.Malik Sher Mohammad Waziri however hoped they would avoid the use of force through negotiations.

“The task is no doubt difficult but we will talk to our elders in Waziristan to find a peaceful solution. We would tell the people that we don’t want to fight against our armed forces and if someone is willing to fight then we would vacate Waziristan and let them do their work. But I must say the people of Waziristan are peace loving Pakistanis. Mehsud tribespeople are our brothers and would convince them to leave their area,” Sher Mohammad Wazir said.

 

Govt has taken bigger begging bowl: Khursheed

 

ISLAMABAD: Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly (NA) Syed Khursheed Shah, on the government’s one-year performance, said on Friday that the government had taken up even a bigger begging bowl.
While kickstarting a debate on the budget in the lower house on Friday, he termed the one-year performance of the Nawaz Sharif-led government “poor” and gave it zero marks. The opposition leader described the budget documents as a jugglery of words and statistics.

He was more critical of the government for obtaining foreign loans at high interest, saying, rather than breaking the begging bowl, the government had raised the size of the begging bowl. “What the PPP government did not obtain in its five-year rule, the PML-N government obtained it in the form of foreign loans in their first year,” he said.

He said the finance minister had delivered a lengthy budget speech that made not only the parliamentarians worried but the media also who were guessing what was in the budget.He said every child was born in the country with a debt of Rs84,000 in comparison to Rs74,000 during the PPP’s tenure.He said the dictatorship and martial laws played havoc with the country as the people were still facing the outcome of the policies of dictators.

“One-man rule and dictatorships proved more destructive for the country. It is the beauty of parliament that we are sitting, making criticism that is being tolerated in the House,” he said while opening the budget debate in the National Assembly.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif kept the parliamentary tradition alive while sitting there during the speech of the opposition leader.The soft-spoken Khursheed Shah, in his speech that remained incomplete due to the Friday prayer and would now be completed on Monday evening, was more critical of the government in his usual soft tone rather than following the past practice of an aggressive tone of the previous opposition leaders.

The opposition leader said during its five-year tenure, the PPP-government was facing terrorism in Swat and faced unprecedented floods in 2010 but kept the prices of flour and sugar in control.

Criticising the economic policies of Finance Minister Senator Ishaq Dar in a soft tone, the opposition leader said Dar might have many arguments to reject the opposition’s point of view on the budget. He said that Dar could prove them wrong with arguments but if he would be asked to make a speech against the bill from his seat, Ishaq Dar would find out 1,000 faults in the budget. “I want to be his student as he could turn dirt into gold with his arguments,” he said in a lighter tone.

He taunted those who claimed to make a new Pakistan saying that some parties raised such slogans but they should know that Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had given us already the gift of Pakistan and those claimed to make a new Pakistan should know it was already a reality.

The Leader of the Opposition, Syed Khursheed Shah, said that the budget should be in accordance with aspirations of the people. He suggested that inputs from the opposition should have been taken in preparation of the budget.

He pointed out that the government had fixed Rs2,475 billion as revenue collection target in the outgoing fiscal year but reduced it twice on the insistence of the IMF to Rs2,275 billion.He said the government had collected Rs1,950 billion till 30th May, 2014 and still needed Rs325 billion to achieve this target.

Shah stressed that the budget should focus on the deprived areas and improve the backward provinces to meet the requirements of the new concept of Federation after the 18th Constitutional Amendment.

The leader of the opposition advocated for proper shares for the provinces. He appreciated the unprecedented legislation carried out in the House on Friday and criticised the government for poor performance on legislation in the first year. However, he hoped that performance of the government in this regard would be better next year.

He expressed serious reservations over the government’s issuance of the Euro Bond at a higher interest at 8 percent, saying, on the one hand, the government was claiming that the economy of the country was stabilising and, on the other hand, it was issuing the Euro Bonds with such a high interest that created confusion about the government’s policy. “The government claims to break the begging bowl but it has pushed the country into a stronger debt trap,” he observed.

Economic growth has increased but most targets couldn’t be met

 

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Finance Senator Ishaq Dar has conceded that the government has missed major economic targets of GDP growth, revenue, investment and inflation in the outgoing year.
The GDP growth remained at 4.14 percent against a target of 4.4 percent but in the last six years, this is the first time that Pakistan registered over 4 percent growth against the revised target of 3.7 percent, taking the per capita income up to $1,386 in 2013-14 from the revised target of $1,369 in 2012-13. Tax collection remained at 16 percent and inflation increased by 8.5 percent and unemployment registered an increase of 6.2 percent.

Announcing the results of the Economic Survey at a news conference, the finance minister said in the first year of its rule, the government spent its time in fire fighting and in the second financial year, which is 2014-15, the masses will be witnessing dividends of the prudent economic policies.

The minister said that he himself fixed the aggressive economic targets for 2013-14 so that the government could not remain complacent and because of hard work and good economic governance, the government had performed well in terms of achieving the GDP growth of 4.14 percent.

He vowed to increase the GDP growth by 1 percent every year and said that the size of the GDP had swelled close to $300 billion. The minister said the unemployment rate had increased to 6.2 percent from 5.9 percent from 2009-10. He stated that the impact of the war against terrorism remained at $102 billion and 50 percent of the population was living below the poverty line of $2 a day income.

“The vulnerable segments of the society will be taken care of and it was I who first proposed the Benazir Income Support Programme as target subsidy to provide solace to the poorest of the poor. The last government in five years time increased the BISP allocation from Rs34 billion to just Rs40 billion,” he said.

However, the government has increased the allocation under the Benazir Income Support Programme to Rs75 billion in the current financial year, which will be increased further in the next budgetary year. Next year, the government will provide financial help to 4,700,000 poor people.

Coming to the GDP growth analysis, the minister said that the overall industrial growth remained at 5.84 percent in the first nine months against 1.37 percent in the same period of the last year. He said the Large Scale Manufacturing (LSM) sector grew by 5.31 percent as against 4.1 percent last year.

The construction sector grew tremendously by 11.3 percent in the first nine months of the current financial year as against the negative growth of 1.7 percent in 2012-13.

Electricity generation and gas distribution sector grew by 3.72 percent against the negative growth of 16.3 percent in the last financial year. “This has really helped increase growth of the industrial sector.” He said growth in small and household sector stayed at 8.4 percent against the growth of 8.3 percent in the same sector last year.

However, the Economic Survey said during 2013-14, energy consumption was 40,185 million TOEs compared to 40,026 million TOEs in 2012-13 showing a growth of 0.4 percent. Now the industrial growth could be questioned with an increase in electricity consumption by 0.4 percent.

However, the minister admitted the agriculture sector growth remained very low at just 2.1 percent against 2.88 percent last year. However, in the next budgetary year, the government will come up with alluring incentives to increase the growth in agriculture sector.

Dar said the growth in important crops remained at 3.7 percent as against 1.2 percent last year. Other crops that included oil seeds and pulses showed negative growth at 3.5 percent as against 6.1 percent last year. He said that the country also witnessed a reduction in growth as cotton production remained at 12.77 million bales against 13.03 million bales.

The minister said that for agriculture sector, the government allocated Rs380 billion for the current year against Rs315 billion last year. Next time the government will increase the credit lines for the agriculture sector. He also mentioned that fertilisers also remained short and the government had somehow managed to provide the imported fertilisers at Rs1,786 per bag plus Rs25 of dealers margin. “We brought down the prices of fertiliser from Rs1,952 per bag to Rs1,786,” he said.

Mentioning the services sector, the minister said that this sector failed to perform up to the expectations as it grew by 4.3 percent against the growth of 4.9 percent in the last financial year.

In transport, storage and communication sector, the growth remained at 3 percent against 2.9 percent, in wholesale and retail trade 5.2 percent against 3.4 percent, finance and insurance 5.2 percent against 9 percent, housing services remained at 4 percent against 4 percent last year and growth in general government services tumbled by 2.2 percent against 11.3 percent and in other private sector, the growth stayed at 5.8 percent as against 5.2 percent.

About inflation, the minister said that during the July-April period, it remained at 8.8 percent against 7.75 percent last fiscal. However, till May this year, inflation remained at 8.6 percent as against 7.5 percent. About the core inflation which he termed very important saying it remained at 8.2 percent against 9.7 percent in 11 months of the outgoing fiscal.

The minister also said that government borrowing had reduced and the monetary policy had improved. Highlighting the exports of the country, he said that exports had increased by 4.24 percent to $21 billion in the last 10 months against $20.1 billion in thesame period last year and because of the GSP Plus, the textile sector grew by 7 percent and raw cotton export 42 percent. However, it would have been better if the value addition had been added and finished products exported instead of exporting raw cotton. However, the imports, the minister said, had increased by 1.2 percent to $37.1 billion from $36.7 billion in 2012-13. Dar mentioned the reason for the increase in exports saying that plants and machinery had been imported on a large scale, which is in a way a positive sign for growth in economy.

Investment to GDP has reduced to 13.99 percent from 14.57 percent of GDP last year. Fixed investment has also tumbled to 12.39 percent of the GDP against 12.79 percent. Out of this, the private investment remained at 8.94 percent against 9.64 percent of GDP. Dar said that total investment was recorded at Rs3,276 billion in 2012-13, which increased to Rs3,554 billion in 2013-14. The minister said that Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) had reached $2.979 billion that also included the $2 billion Euro Bond. However, in the last year in the same period it stood at $1.277 billion.

Talking about the foreign exchange reserves, the minister said that reserves had reached $13.66 billion against $11.4 billion. He mentioned in February last year, the reserves stood at just $7.5 billion out of which the central bank reserves were at $2.7 billion. Now the situation had completely changed as right now the State Bank of Pakistan reserves had reached $8.8 billion whereas the reserves of commercial banks were stagnant at $4.8 billion.The growth in remittances has slightly reduced to $12.894 billion from $13.921 billion.

CJP has nothing to do with elections: Former CJP

ISLAMABAD: Former Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry said on Tuesday that country’s top judge had nothing to do with the elections.

The former CJP said it was the responsibility of the Election Commission of Pakistan to appoint Returning Officers (ROs) adding that he did not want to respond to useless allegations being made.

Justice (retd) Chaudhry emphasised the importance of the judiciary and defence institutions saying talks of a clash between them should not be taking place. The former CJP further said that a strong foundation for democracy had been laid in the country and there was no threat to it.

Journey to democracy has started: Mamnoon

 

LAHORE: President Mamnoon Hussain on Saturday said that the journey, with strong footings, towards real democracy had started and Pakistan would become an important country in the region within five years.
He said this while speaking at the concluding session of the South Asia Labour Conference (SALC) held here at a local hotel on Saturday.

He appealed for greater cooperation in the South Asian region through the Saarc platform and called for an end to the travel restrictions placed on Pakistan by countries dismayed by the polio issue.

In his speech, President Mamnoon Hussain said the country was currently facing challenges, including terrorism and lawlessness, but it had great potential in leading the Saarc region in the race for economic development.

Addressing Saarc ministers and dignitaries, President Mamnoon Hussain said he was honoured to be a part of the regional collaboration for labour rights. He said it was a day of great hope in the region as it was a beginning in the journey towards mutual cooperation for improving the lives of the poor.

The president said he was impressed by the passion and commitment to labour issues of all the delegates taking part in the conference’s technical sessions and hoped the discussions would be further supplemented by action. He said the South Asian region was united by common values and faced similar challenges, including threats to democracy, dictatorship, governance and justice issues.

Talking to the 300 delegates present on Saturday, he said for decades Pakistan had provided shelter to people fleeing regional conflicts. He said Pakistan had endured natural calamities, extremism and poverty with encouraging resilience. “I am happy to see the joint ministerial statement of South Asia Labour Conference reaffirm the fundamental right to decent living and human values,” said President Mamnoon Hussain on the final day of the conference.

He said further sharing of best labour practices in the Saarc region would develop human resources and lead to South Asian countries being able to compete with the rest of the world and alleviate regional poverty. President Hussain congratulated the organisers of the South Asia Labour Conference on hosting the first regional labour conference here in Lahore and the Punjab government for the Punjab Labour Policy 2014 to be officially unveiled by CM Punjab Shahbaz Sharif on May 1 in a special Punjab Assembly session.

The President of Pakistan placed great emphasis on compliance with international labour laws and standards set by ILO conventions. He said that he was happy to note the enthusiasm of employers present and that the business community of Pakistan could help lift millions of Pakistanis out of poverty.

He thanked the head of cabinet for the European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion Nicolas Gibert-Morin for the awarding of GSP Plus status to Pakistan and said Pakistan’s textile sector had benefited from the reduced tariffs. He said some elements were wishing to deprive Pakistan of this status, using poor compliance with labour laws as a pretext for their hidden motives.

On the topic of polio vaccination, President Hussain said the travel restrictions placed on Pakistan due to the low polio vaccinations rate by some countries was regrettable as militants in Pakistan’s north had made it difficult for others to administer polio drops.

The president, addressing foreign delegates at the conference, said the country would undergo a positive change within a period of five years.

President Hussain said an economic corridor connecting Tashkent, Kashgar, Karachi to Gwadar, Balochistan would deliver successful results not only to Pakistan and China but to the entire Central Asian region, Russia and the Middle East.

According to the president, Pakistan’s workforce would also benefit from new opportunities. Pakistan’s youth, which comprises 50 percent of the workforce, is a blessing, said President Mamnoon Hussain.

He said the success of the conference was evident by the presence of relevant stakeholders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Sindh and Balochistan in addition to Prime Minister Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Chaudhry Abdul Majeed during the three days of South Asia Labour Conference.

The president also expressed his hope for a similar conference hosted in another Saarc country in 2015 and a regional community of labourers in South Asia.

The president later presented souvenirs to select Pakistani and foreign delegates in appreciation of their role in the conference.

Pakistan has no law to govern intelligence agencies: Umar Cheema

 

ISLAMABAD: ‘The News’ investigative journalist Umer Cheema has said that no intelligence agency in Pakistan, including the ISI, MI and IB, had any law to govern their working.
Talking to Kamran Khan in ‘Aaj Kamran Khan Kay Sath’ show on Tuesday, Cheema said these intelligence agencies worked under the standard operating procedure due to which their work carried no legal value.

He said the Saleem Shahzad Commission report had also talked about intelligence reforms. He said even Bosnia had a law to govern the working of intelligence agencies.

He said a number of Central Asia states, which broke away from Russia, had suffered a lot at the hands of intelligence agencies and the first thing these states did after independence was that they introduced reforms for their intelligence agencies.

He said when Dr. Shoaib Suddle was DG Intelligence Bureau, he had made a law to govern the working of the agency but he was removed before he could present it to the government for presentation in Parliament.

He said the good omen for a county was that its rulers learn a lesson from their mistakes but unfortunately here in Pakistan we commit mistakes and repeat them. He said not even a single example existed in the United States where its premier intelligence agency CIA had ever kidnapped, attacked or killed a journalist.

Cheema mentioned the case of American computer professional and former employee of the CIA Edward Joseph Snowden. He said when Snowden was in the US he was not afraid of being abducted by the CIA and killed and dumped on the roadside rather he feared the US law.

He said one could imagine the consequences if someone in Pakistan had blown the whistle on the Inter-Services Intelligence or Military Intelligence (MI).Agreeing to Kamran Khan, Cheema said the CIA faced the allegation of killing President John F. Kennedy but there was not as much fuss and hue and cry from the intelligence agency against the accusation as was being witnessed in Pakistan these days.

He said a murder attempt had been made on senior journalist Hamid Mir and the channel pointed a finger at the ISI director general in the light of the attacked journalist’s statement that if something terrible happened to his life then the responsibility would lie with the agency. He said it was just an allegation but the security institutions were not ready to face it.

To a question, Cheema said that he was attacked in September 2010 after which he talked of ‘intelligence reforms’ and wrote many articles about it. “I did not talk of revenge and wanted to become part of the solution. Let’s find a solution to this problem. I also put blame on the ISI for beating me up. This should not happen to anyone,” Cheema said.

He further said, “Year 2014 has come. Mistakes can be made by anybody. Being a patriotic Pakistani, I think of the future of this country and am perturbed by it. We invest confidence over others but not in the Parliament. Whenever we see corruption, we expose it.”

To a question by Kamran Khan, Umer Cheema said that the ongoing talk on Geo was not of a single institution but of one personality. “We respect the ISI chief, but Hamid Mir is no lesser in status. He is a star anchor and has been attacked. He feels unsafe in his own country. He is afraid of those who are to save him, which for me as a Pakistani, is a shame,” he said, adding that a “Gentleman Agreement” was essential, and if not so, there should be legal limits for all.

To another question, Cheema said that the procedure for overall coverage should be changed. “Either we should not have aired the bakery-affair of Sharif family, or we should not have aired the picture of General Pasha with reference to Raymond Davis case? Moreover we should not have telecast the picture of DG IB when Benazir Bhutto was assassinated? Law should be equal for all,” he said.

Umar Cheema added that Hamid Mir had come to many people before this incident took place, and whatever he discussed was aired. He noted that the news with reference to ISI chief was aired and it is essential to present the picture of the person in question, which is a new phenomenon of electronic media. He further said that we were not mentally prepared for this new phenomenon in electronic media which had led to prejudice or obscurity. He said that when clarification came from DG ISPR, no one objected upon the airing of the picture of the DG. “Neither ISPR, nor ISI complained for telecasting his picture,” he clarified.

Responding to another query, journalist Umer Cheema said that back in 2010, his case was highlighted by the then opposition leader Chaudhry Nisar. “At that time Mian Nawaz Sharif also said that the ISI was involved in the case of Umer Cheema,” he said. Moreover, he said that at a certain stage, Chaudhry Nisar also demanded for the resignation of General Pasha, which led Cheema to question if law was not applicable in this case.

In response to a query, Cheema said that Chaudhry Nisar should clarify whether he was wrong then or right.In reply to a question, Umer Cheema said that the government’s spokesman Pervaiz Rashid had said many things between the lines. He said that those groups, who talked with arguments, were standing together with the government and civil society. He said that this statement was different from that of Chaudhry Nisar. “Perhaps the office of Chaudhry Sahib has some requirements, or he is playing the role of a fire fighter which he wants to retain,” Cheema said.

To a query, Cheema said that we knew only to rule over the ignorant. “We talk of only those things which the people want to listen to. If we turned to a different talk, they will call you a ‘traitor’. There is a dearth of media’s overall training. We should also enforce relevant code of conduct,” he added.

Umar Cheema, responding to a question, said that his opinion was not necessarily the prefect one. He added that everyone had his own opinion about a thing or two. He noted that if it could be highlighted that someone was being blamed then also Hamid Mir was not an ordinary man; he held a respectable status in journalism, and if his family said that they had his recorded statement, this was a newsworthy thing. However, he said that some people might not conform to this opinion, but he opined that a meeting should be held to decide whether or not this opinion be revisited, as there is always a room for improvement.

Speaking on the show, Editor Investigations ‘The News’ Ansar Abbasi, to a question Kamran Khan about his demand that the ISI chief should step down after the attack on Hamid Mir, said he had said that it was a serious allegation raised by Hamid Mir and his brother Amir Mir pointing a finger at the DG ISI. He said this allegation caused bashing of the institution and he thought that institution should be protected as individuals do not matter.

He said if he were in place of the DG ISI, he would have stepped down so that allegation is not made on the ISI and the institution is not bashed worldwide. He said many people including Mir’s brother shared his opinion.

Asked why he did not advocate going to court to prove the allegations, Abbasi said this matter is not about allegations and indictment. He said he is talking about respect of the institution as the whole world is bashing the ISI now. He said if the allegations are proved, it will be a matter of shame for the country. He said he wants to protect the ISI from bashing.

Kamran Khan pointed out that allegations were also levelled against Nawaz Shaif and Iftikhar Chaudhry but none of them left the office.Abbasi said what he had said was his opinion and not that of Geo TV. He said if his opinion is in violation of the Constitution, it should be taken to the court of law.

Kamran Khan again pointed to Arslan Iftikhar case and the fact that they did not at that time demanded that Iftikhar Chaudhry should leave office.Abbasi said Malik Riaz had told him that he had evidence against Arslan but he did not have any evidence against the then chief justice. He questioned if a son did something wrong, should the father be punished?

He said Hamid Mir is not an ordinary person. He said Hamid Mir had shared these allegations with many persons, so what should we do now? He said wrongly or rightly, Mir had shared his apprehensions with top management of Geo TV.

He said things should not be twisted. He repeated that DG ISI is not more important as an individual than the institution. He said he thinks that if you remove the DG, you save the institution of the ISI. He said it is his viewpoint which can be rejected.

He explained that this is not the opinion of his organisation. He said he often speaks against his organisation so when he is doing so, how can it be opinion of his organisation.

Kamran Khan questioned how things will be settled when the Defence Ministry has accessed the Pemra against Geo TV, and the Interior Ministry also disliked the coverage.

Ansar Abbasi said there should be a fair deal as he is a man of rule of law. He said he only called for a fair deal but his comments were stretched beyond limits. He said, “Leave me. I am a traitor. Every body in Jang Group is a ‘traitor’. We all should be given medals for being traitor.”

He said those levelling allegations against them should monitor their activities. He said totally free media is a dangerous thing. He said had Pemra been doing right things, it should have called Geo TV to restrict if any red line was being crossed. He said Pemra has asked the media to show restrain at the time of Chehlum tragedy in Rawalpindi because there was a risk of violence in the country.

He said why Pemra and the government were sleeping at the time of transmission of Hamid Mir attack. He questioned why Pemra did not make a phone call to mention that Hamid Mir’s allegations are wrong and these pictures should not be aired on the media. He said he has objections to the working of Pemra which took no notice of abuse of the former chief justice, adding that the government and the Pemra should regulate themselves.

Kamran Khan questioned how should they defend themselves at a time when the ministries of interior and defence are levelling serious allegations against them?

Ansar Abbasi said Pemra is the body to deal with media legally and the ministers criticising the media are not in apposition to do so. He said Pemra should hear the ministries. He said justice should done with them (media) and the Ministry of Defence. He said if an assurance for such a justice is made, then they should fully submit to the law. He said they could go to the independent judiciary in case of any injustice.

Abbasi said there should be no conflict between military and civil government portraying his or others’ statements on Geo TV. He said some channels are stocking fire. He said he heard at a channel that the prime minister is siding with Geo TV but the interior minister and some other people are on the other side.

Ansar Abbasi has said that a divide is being created because of them but for them, national interest is supreme. He said they would never want that a dark environment is created because of them in the country. He said they should submit to the law as they believe in institutions. He said those who oppose should put up all their complaints to Pemra. He added fire is being stocked by wrong interpretations of their statements and these issues should be brought before the institutions concerned

Rabbani says PM has assured review of PPO

ISLAMABAD: PPP Senator Raza Rabbai said Wednesday that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has assured a review of the Pakistan Protection Ordinance (PPO) and directed Zahid Hamid to consult the opposition.


Rabbani spoke to reporters following a meeting between the PPP delegation led by Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “Reservations of the PPP and other opposition parties were conveyed to Prime Minister Nazwaz Sharif,” Rabbani said.

The PPP senator said all democratic forces will have to move forward together. He added that if a bad time arose they would support democratic forces.

When asked by a reporter if the meeting discussed a ‘billa,’ Rabbani replied that all matters including Musharraf were discussed and the prime minister said tension with the Pakistan army was not that serious of an issue.

Rabbani further told reporters that talks with the Taliban, problems of Sindh, provincial sovereignty, NFC award and the Karachi operation were also discussed.

 

Musharraf court has already settled abettors issue

ISLAMABAD: In order to complicate the high treason case, ex-president Pervez Musharraf’s defense lawyers have demanded the trial of all those involved in the November 3, 2007 step, but they have forgotten the fact that the Special Court has already settled the issue in its verdict of March 7, 2014.

Musharraf’s counsel Barrister Farogh Naseem presented the notification of declaring emergency on November 3, 2007 before the court to prove that Musharraf had not acted alone while imposing emergency.

Talking to The News, Musharraf’s defense counsel Faisal Hussain Chaudhry said para 50 of the Special Court’s judgment implied only when Musharraf was not indicted but now when he was indicted then under Section 6(g) of Criminal Law (special court) Act 1976 all accused and co-accused had to be tried jointly and this was mandatory.

He said the Constitution does not allow selective prosecution and also provides for fair trial under Article 10-A.In its judgment of March 07, 2014 the Special Court says: “The material that is before us at this stage is only limited to the extent that the accused consulted with certain functionaries of the state, both civil and military, before the issuance of proclamation of emergency; therefore the involvement of any other person would depend on the evidence which would come on the record. Further, the decision if recorded on submissions of pertaining to being singled out and the retrospective effect of Article 6 of the Constitution would amount to deciding the case at a pre-mature stage; hence we intend not to record findings thereon at this stage of the proceedings”.

According to Naseem the situation had been reviewed in meetings with the prime minister, governors of all the four provinces, chairman joint chiefs of staff committee, chiefs of the armed forces, vice chief of the army staff and corps commanders and emergency was proclaimed in pursuance of the deliberations and decisions of the said meetings.

The same point was raised by Musharraf’s defense lawyer Anwar Mansoor Khan in response to which the court gave this verdict.In his argue Mr. Khan said: “The proclamation of emergency issued on November 03, 2007 was not an act of the accused alone but an outcome of a consultative process that was carried out by the accused in consultation with the prime minister, governors of all the four provinces, chairman joint chief of staff committee, chief of the armed forces, vice chief of army staff and corps commanders of Pakistan Army yet only the accused had been proceeded against under Article 6 of the Constitution.”

It was contended that the accused felt that he had been singled out and the motivating factor behind invoking the provision of Article 6 of the Constitution was not to seek punishment of all those who might be found guilty at the end of the trial, but behind the proceedings was animosity and hatred that existed between the accused on the one hand and the prime minister and former chief justice of Pakistan on the other hand and therefore the whole process was tainted with malice.

It was added that the amendment to the Constitution was made later in point of time to include the act alleged against the accused committed earlier in time; therefore, it has no retrospective effect”. In response to Khan’s argument, the head of government’s prosecution team Akram Sheikh while rebutting the contention said: “A statement was made by the attorney general before the Supreme Court that the matter was investigated and the material for prosecution was available only against the accused and no other person. Due to this reason, the complaint was filed only against him.”

It was stated that there could be many persons involved in the crime but only those could be proceeded against whom sufficient evidence was available to connect them with the commission of an offence and the same was the case with the accused.

PTI has set up exemplary govt in KP, says Imran

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan claimed on Tuesday that his was the only party on which the nation had pinned hopes for a better future. He said that his party was ready to hold the local bodies elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on April 30.

He made this claim when an ex-candidate of the Qaumi Watan Party for PK-22, Charsadda, Khan Matta, and scores of his supporters joined the PTI here.Imran said his party had established an exemplary government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that would be expanded to other provinces soon.

Meanwhile, he condemned the attack on the Jaffar Express in Sibi and called for thorough investigations into it and awarding of the severest punishment to the culprits.PTI Information Secretary Shireen Mazari said her party had emerged as the second largest political party in the general elections last year. She saidthis during a meeting with a team of US journalists, who called on her on Tuesday.

She noted that the PTI believed in elimination of corruption through across-the-board accountability, expansion of the tax net and imposition of the agriculture tax. She threw light on various initiatives taken by the PTI government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

APP adds: Meanwhile, Imran Khan on Tuesday said that the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was ready to hold the local bodies (LB) elections in the province on April 30.Talking to the media outside parliament, he said that according to a recent survey, around 57 percent people were satisfied with the performance of the PTI government.

The chairman of PTI said that formation of a committee by the National Assembly to investigate the allegation of non-payment of taxes by members of parliament and report it within 90 days was a good development.

He said that the committee should first investigate non-payment of taxes by party heads. “I offer myself for the investigation first,” he added.Imran Khan said that payment of taxes by parliamentarians would enhance the prestige of parliament. He asked all the parliamentarians to declare their assets in and outside the country.

The PTI chairman said tax collection couldn’t be improved unless the politicians themselves set the example.To a question about the street children football team, he said that Pakistan had anincredible talent in all the sports. He said changing of the cricket team captain would harm the performance of the team.Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the PTI, in consultation with other opposition parties, would challenge the Pakistan Protection Bill.

Beacon of talks has been lit: Pervaiz

LAHORE: Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervaiz Rashid said on Saturday that the government has lighted the beacon of holding dialogue on issues, adding that soon there would be peace in the country.

Talking to media persons after visiting the residence of journalist Raza Rumi, who narrowly escaped in a gun attack on Friday, Pervaiz Rashid said the State and the law will have to be strengthened to an extent that the terrorists could not escape from the law. “In the given situation, we will have to do away with the blame game and join hands to fight against the terrorists,” he said.

“State, politics, judiciary, journalism and business are the same things and all will have to join hands against terrorism,” he said. The minister said the Punjab IGP was conducting inquiry into the attack on Raza Rumi. He said the culprits behind the attack will be brought to the book. He said the government was making all out efforts to ensure safety and security of journalists.

Has Vidya Balan learnt from pregnant Aishwarya's mistake?

 

Speculation is rife in Bollywood that stork is visiting ace actress Vidya Balan and UTV CEO Siddharth Roy Kapur. 

The actress has been spotted visiting a hospital on several occasions recently. What added fuel to the pregnancy fire, was her decision to step out of Sujoy Ghosh's next venture, which is most likely going to be a thriller.

Although the lady in the spotlight has on several occasions vehemently denied being in the family way, her weight gain in recent times has not added 'weight' (pun intended) to her denials.

Now, whether or not Vidya reveals to her fans and the entire world about her impending pregnancy, the lady does deserve kudos for her professional conduct with her director (read: Sujoy Ghosh).

So, has Vidya learnt from Aishwarya Rai Bachchan's bad experience of hiding her pregnancy from her director (in Ash's case it was Madhur Bhandarkar who learnt from the social media about his leading actress' pregnancy). For the uninitiated, Aishwarya and Madhur had a bitter fall out over her untimely pregnancy announcement.

Vidya could well have learnt from Aishwarya-Madhur episode and decided to take Sujoy in her confidence.

While the 'Kahaani' director has not spoken to the media, the word on the street is that he has moved on and decided to take 'Quen' actress Kangna Ranaut on board.

According to some sources in the media, Vidya has also been mulling over endorsing brands only in the immediate future. After all, Aishwarya has also been doing the same through and post her pregnancy and staying in the limelight.

Endorsements of brands translate into perfect work-life balance for actresses who are new mothers and have intention to make a comeback in the showbiz industry after a gap.

Sallu Has a Tiff With Akshay?

Salman Khan is quite generous when it comes to doing cameos for friends. However, he is particular that he has to be the centre of attraction. He was to shake a leg in the title track of Akshay Kumar's Fugly.

 

After the shoot started, Sallu realised that it was Akki who was hogging most of the limelight in the special song and was allegedly quite upset. A source revealed to the TOI, "Sallu did not know about the details of the song and was briefed when he arrived on the set. Since Akshay had more screen time in the song, he coolly walked off after shooting the first stanza of the song, much to everyone's shock."

Box office collection: Sonam Kapoor’s Bewakoofiyaan has a dull start coz of Kangana Ranaut’s Queen

Last Friday Sonam and Ayushmann’s romcom Bewakoofiyaan hit the theatres. While Nupur Asthana’s directorial venture should have got a good opening weekend, the film failed to get cash registers ringing despite a long weekend coz of Holi

Director Nupur Asthana’s romantic comedy Bewakoofiyaan starring Sonam Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana and Rishi Kapoor in the lead has failed at the box office miserably. The film managed to rake in a little above Rs 2 crore on its first day. Ideally Bewakoofiyaan should have got a great start considering the weekend got extended till Monday due to Holi. However, Sonam-Ayushmann starrer kicked off on a slow note and things remained pretty much the same over the weekend as well. Film critic and trade analyst Taran Adarsh tweeted, “Bewakoofiyaan Fri 2.23 cr, Sat 2.51 cr. Total – 4.74 cr nett.India biz.” On the other hand, Kangana Ranaut’s Queen fared well even in its second weekend. Vikas Bahl’s chick flick has certainly created hungama the box office. “Queen [Wknd 2] Fri 2.15 cr, Sat 3.75 cr, Sun 4.75 cr. Grand total - 29.50 cr nett… Wknd 2 better than Wknd 1… India biz… SUPERB,” posted Adarsh.

According to Boxofficeindia, “Bewakoofiyaan had a poor weekend grossing around Rs 6.75 crore nett over its first weekend. The film started on a low note and the growth was limited over the weekend. The collections are better than Total Siyapaa but that film was almost a total washout.

As for Kangy’s film, “Queen continued its fantastic run on its second Monday as it collected around 2.75-3 crore nett due to a holiday for Holi on Monday. Queen has chances to hit the 50 crore nett mark and is likely to emerge the first outright hit of the year,” reported Boxofficeindia.

Going by the figures, it’s clear that Kangana’s Queen is way ahead of Sonam’s Bewakoofiyaan in the numbers game. If Vikas Bahl’s latest outing continues to do well at the ticket windows then we won’t be surprised if Queen soon enters the Rs 100 crore club. In fact, it should, hai na? But the box office collection of Queen could get affected as four films will hit the screens this week – Sunny Leone’s Ragini MMS 2, Mahie Gill-Sharman Joshi-Meera Chopra starrer Gang of Ghosts, Ankhon Dekhi and Lakshmi.

Or who knows it could be the other way round coz Kangana’s flick has indeed impressed everyone – from critics to audience to Bollywood bigwigs and is steadily climbing up the money ladder.

Vladimir Putin annexes Crimea, says it has always been Russia’s

Putin signed an order “to approve the draft treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Crimea on adopting the Republic of Crimea into the Russian Federation”.

With a historic sweep of his pen, President Vladimir Putin signed a treaty on Tuesday to annex Crimea, describing the move as correcting past injustice and a necessary response to what he called Western encroachment upon Russia’s vital interests.
In a 40-minute speech televised live from the Kremlin, Putin said “in people’s hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an integral part of Russia”.
He dismissed Western criticism of Sunday’s Crimean referendum — in which residents of the strategic Black Sea peninsula overwhelmingly backed breaking off from Ukraine and joining Russia — as a manifestation of the West’s double standards.
At the same time, Putin said  Russia did not want to move into other regions of Ukraine: “We don’t want division of Ukraine.” Thousands of Russian troops have been massed along Ukraine’s eastern border for the last few weeks — Russia says that was for military training while the US and Europe view the troops as an intimidation tactic.
In Paris, French foreign minister Laurent Fabius said Russia had been suspended from the G8 because of the Crimean annexation. Russia has the G8’s rotating leadership currently, and Putin was scheduled to host President Barack Obama and other leaders of the group in Sochi in June.
“Concerning the G8… we decided to suspend Russia’s participation, and it is envisaged that all the other countries, the seven leading countries, will unite without Russia,” Fabius said on Europe-1 radio.
Britain’s foreign Office said Russia was still part of the G8, even though a suspension was not ruled out. British foreign secretary William Hague said Putin had chosen “the route of isolation, denying the citizens of his own country, and of Crimea, partnership with the international community and full membership of a range of international organisations”, and that it was now highly likely that other G8 countries would want to meet without Russia.
Tokyo and Berlin said they were not aware of a decision to suspend Moscow.
In Kiev, the Ukrainian government said it did not recognise the treaty signed in Moscow. “The signing of the so-called agreement on Crimea joining the Russian Federation and the corresponding address by the Russian president has nothing in common with law or democracy or common sense,” foreign ministry spokesman Evhen Perebynis said on Twitter.
“Putin’s address very clearly demonstrates just how real the threat is that Russia poses to international security and international security,” he said.
Speaking at the Kremlin’s white-and-gold St George Hall on the other hand, Putin cast the post-Yanukovych Ukrainian government as illegitimate, driven by radical “nationalists, neo-Nazis, Russophobes and anti-Semites”.
He said the rights of ethnic Russians in Ukraine had been abused by the new Ukrainian government. He insisted that Crimea’s vote to join Russia was in line with international law and reflected its right for self-determination.

Has Madhuri's Magic Faded Away?

The Dhak-Dhak diva Madhuri Dixit-Nene made a comeback after a 6 year hiatus from Bollywood with Aaja Nachle. The dancing queen is known for her dancing moves and powerful roles that she carries forward in every film. Many have admired her performance in Laila Majnu and her magical sizzling moves in Devdas. Her numbers Ek Do Teen and Mera Piya Ghar Aaya became a big craze.

 

The 46 year old Madhuri still manages to look charming and enthusiastic as always. She has won millions of hearts including Ranbir Kapoor in Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani. Ranbir has shared screen space with Madhuri for an item song. He even confessed his liking for her and how he felt heartbroken after she married Sriram Nene.

 

After Devdas, she was approached for Aaja Nachle in 2007. The film, however, failed to impress at the B.O. and received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. Apparently, the film was banned in Uttar Pradesh and other states and this affected the Box office rating.

 

Dedh Ishqiya received rave reviews from critics; however, its B.O collection was average. Everyone was singing praises about Madhuri's impulsive character and the director's ambition in bringing back the Urdu language into the film industry. After all the praises and hype, the film lost the screens to Salman's Jai Ho in the third week.

 

Even as she was gearing up for her next from Soumik Sen's Gulaab Gang co-starring with Juhi Chawla, the makers of the film faced troubles and controversies. Sampat Pal, who runs Gulabi Gang, helps harassed women and girls. However, Pal said that the lead actor played by Madhuri Dixit was shown as an anti-social element, contrary to her real life persona. The film however failed at the Box Office. We wonder if the Madhuri magic has faded away.

Malaysia military believes it has tracked missing jet over Strait of Malacca

An aerial view of an oil spill is seen from a Vietnamese Air Force aircraft in the search area for a missing Malaysia Airlines plane, 250 km from Vietnam and 190 km from Malaysia. (Reuters)

Malaysia’s military believes it tracked the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner by radar over the Strait of Malacca, far from where it last made contact with civilian air traffic control off the country’s east coast, a military source siad.
The Strait of Malacca, one of the world’s busiest shipping channels, runs along Malaysia’s west coast. The airline said on Saturday that the flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew last had contact off the east coast Malaysian town of Kota Bharu.
“It changed course after Kota Bharu and took a lower altitude. It made it into the Malacca Strait,” the military official, who has been briefed on investigations, told Reuters.

Philippines has ’right’ to defend its territory like China: PM spokesman

MANILA: The Philippines also has the right to defend every inch of its territory, President Benigno Aquino's spokesman said on Sunday, after China made a similar warning.
Spokesman Herminio Coloma's remarks came after China's foreign minister Wang Yi said on Saturday said his country would vigorously defend its sovereignty against "unreasonable demands from smaller countries".
Although he was referring to Japan, which has its own territorial dispute with China, his remarks could also cover China's other territorial dispute with the Philippines and other countries over parts of the South China Sea.
"It is the right of every country to defend its national territory. That is also the principle we are following," Coloma told reporters, commenting on the Chinese minister's remarks.
Coloma added that the Philippines was basing its position on the principles of international law like the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea or UNCLOS.
The Philippines and China, along with Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan and Vietnam are all claimants to parts of the South China Sea, a major sea lane and rich fishing ground which is believed to sit on vast mineral deposits.
The Philippines has also expressed growing concern at the increased aggressiveness of the Chinese in pressing their claim to almost all of the waters, even up to the coasts of its neighbours.
The Philippine government has sought UN arbitration under UNCLOS to settle the dispute but China has rejected the move.
Last month the Philippines lodged a protest after the Chinese coastguard allegedly attacked Filipino fishermen off a disputed South China Sea shoal with water cannon on January 27. Beijing rejected the protest.