Legal experts’ remarks on removal of Musharraf name from ECL

KARACHI: The Supreme Court of Pakistan could extend the suspension of Sindh High Court orders for 15 more days in which the Sindh High Court ordered lifting travel ban on former military dictator Pervez Musharraf, legal experts said on Thursday.

The SHC while directing the government to lift travel ban on Musharraf further ruled that implementation of its order—removal of accused name from the Exit Control List (ECL)--- be suspended for 15-days so that the government may file appeal before the apex court.

“It seems the ball is now in the court of Supreme Court as it has to make a final decision,” says Justice (retd) Wajihuddin, former judge of the top court.

Eminent lawyer SM Zafar said that the Musharraf’s path to travel abroad will be clear if the government didn’t move the apex court against SHC decision.

Justice (retd) Tariq Mehmood said that although the reasons that were stated to put Musharraf on ECL were not substantial, the issue is now once again in the government’s hand.

Another law expert Babar Sattar said that the government will have to make a legal and political decision to resolve the imminent issue.

Pervez Rashid terms army chief remarks on media as positive

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid has termed Army Chief’s remarks about media as positive.

In his brief media talk after the Youme-Shuhda ceremony at the General Headquarters, the minister said that there should not be any ambiguity after the speech of Chief of the Army Staff.

Talking to Geo News, Defence Secretary Yasin Malik said that the army chief expressed positive views abut media and media should also adopt a positive behavior.

Indian party leader sparks backlash over rape remarks

NEW DELHI: The mother of a student who was fatally gang-raped on a bus led the outrage Friday against an Indian political leader who described three convicted multiple rapists as "boys" who had made "mistakes".

During a rally in the state of Uttar Pradesh on Thursday, Mulayam Singh Yadav said his Samajwadi Party would try to change the law on punishments for rapists after India´s ongoing elections as he spoke out in defence of three men who have been sentenced to death for repeat sexual assaults.

"Three poor fellows have been sentenced to death. Should rape cases lead to hanging?" said the 74-year-old Yadav, whose party governs the electorally crucial state of Uttar Pradesh.

"They are boys, they make mistakes," he added in reference to the three men aged 28, 21 and 19 who were sentenced in Mumbai last week for their part in two gang-rapes.

They were the first death sentences to be handed down for multiple sex attacks since the law was toughened following the outrage over the December 2012 attack on the bus in New Delhi.

The mother of the 23-year-old victim, who died of her injuries in a Singapore hospital two weeks after the assault, called Yadav a "disgusting and shameless" politician and urged voters to reject leaders who "don´t understand the torture women go through".

"His comments hurt us so much," the mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, told.

"Every day women get raped and they are all mistakes? He talks about doing away with the death sentence for rapists but parents like us feel even death is not enough for rapists. They deserve worse."

Yadav´s remarks sparked a backlash on social media where #backingrapists and ´Mulayam Singh´ were top trending topics on Twitter.

Political parties and women´s rights groups poured scorn on the 74-year-old ex-wrestler over his "misogynistic" comments and demanded an apology.

India orders probe into 'inflammatory' remarks by Modi aide

NEW DELHI: India's election authorities on Friday ordered police to investigate remarks by a top aide of prime ministerial frontrunner Narendra Modi that were allegedly aimed at inciting communal violence.

The powerful Election Commission also barred Modi's aide Amit Shah, 50, from holding public rallies, meetings and roadshows to keep a check on what it called his "undesirable activities".

Shah has been leading the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) general election campaign in the northern Uttar Pradesh state where Hindus dominate but there is a sizeable Muslim community.

The close confidante to Modi has been in the eye of a public storm after he reportedly told several Hindu leaders last week to seek "revenge" at the ballot box.

He was speaking in a part of the state torn apart by deadly Hindu-Muslim violence last September that left some 50 people dead.

The commission also ordered a similar probe into statements by Azam Khan, a leader of the regional Samajwadi Party which is the ruling party in Uttar Pradesh.

Khan reportedly used derogatory language against Modi, who is widely tipped to become India's next prime minister after the marathon elections wind up in May.

The commission said the alleged "provocative" and "highly inflammatory" statements of the two political leaders were "being made with deliberate and malicious intention" of disturbing peace and harmony in the country.

It also criticised the state authorities for not acting against the leaders with the "required alacrity".

The national election campaign, which has largely focused on development, has taken a religious tone in recent days.

Modi, 63, has accused ruling Congress president Sonia Gandhi of failing to deliver on pledges to improve the lives of Muslims, who at 13 per cent of the population are the largest religious minority in India.

Modi, chief minister of the prosperous western state of Gujarat, is reviled by many of India's Muslims due to religious riots that swept the state in 2002 when he began his rule.

At least 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed but Modi has denied critics' claims he was slow to curb the bloodshed.

Opinion polls suggest Modi is set to lead the BJP to power after a decade in the political wilderness. He has been campaigning on a promise of reviving the country's battered economy and creating jobs.

The multi-phase elections, which started April 7, will close May 12 with results due four days later.

Saad says ISPR remarks not linked with his anti-Musharraf diatribes

ISLAMABAD: Khawaja Saad Rafiq, federal minister for railways, has said that he endorses statement of army chief that dignity of institution of army must be preserved adding that it is not the duty of army chief only rather it is the duty of the whole nation to protect respect, prestige and pride of the institution of armed forces of Pakistan.

He said that in fact Musharraf is a person who has brought disrepute to the institution of army more than anyone else.

Talking to The News, Saad said that only those are negatively linking his statements with the ISPR’s who want save to Musharraf.

He said Musharraf is a politician and heads political party APML and his party workers, mostly lawyers, are playing dirty games to make institution of army controversial by making such linkages in their bid to save Musharraf.

Saad Rafiq said that his present point of view about Musharraf is same as it was in 2000, in 2002 or in 2008 and it will always remain same.

He alleged that Musharraf has brought a bad name to the institution of army and had defamed the institution. Saad said that in his statement he only discussed Musharraf and criticized his negative role of acting against the constitution of the country and institution of armed forces.

Saad said that the government and armed forces are on the same page on every issue and this specific issue of Musharraf has no link whatsoever with the institution of army or the government.

He added that the link of the government with Musharraf’s issue is limited to ECL.

He said that PML-N government considers that Musharraf’s name could not be excluded from the ECL as he is facing the allegations of treason, the most heinous crime described in the basic book of the country.