Pakistan urges Afghanistan to stop terrorists fleeing North Waziristan

 

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan on Thursday asked Afghanistan to take necessary measures on its side of the border to stop the fleeing terrorists from North Waziristan Agency (NWA) from finding sanctuary on the Afghan soil.
Foreign Office (FO) Spokesperson Tasnim Aslam, in her weekly briefing here at the Foreign Office, said that the purpose of the visit of special envoy Mahmood Khan Achakzai to Kabul was to seek Afghan cooperation in the management of the border.

She said the visit of Afghan National Security Adviser Dr Rangin Dadfar Spanta was also aimed at taking the discussion forward on the matter.The spokesperson recalled that Pakistan had taken extraordinary measures, including restriction of movement and deployment of additional troops on the border, when presidential elections took place in Afghanistan.

She said these security measures were appreciated not only by the Afghans but also by the international community.The spokesperson said the operation had been launched in the North Waziristan Agency (NWA) to eliminate terrorism and it was in Afghanistan’s own interest to cooperate with Pakistan.

She expressed the confidence that Afghan authorities would respond positively to Pakistan’s call for enhanced security on the border.Replying to a question whether any foreign country had offered assistance for the internally displaced families of North Waziristan, the spokesperson said Pakistan had not decided to ask for any foreign assistance in this regard.

The United Arab Emirates (UAE), however, offered some sort of assistance for the IDPs, she added.The spokesperson said, “The people of North Waziristan are our brothers and sisters and as a nation it is our responsibility to come out and extend all out support to the IDPs who have to leave their homes for the peace and security of the entire country.”

Driver flees traffic stop with cop in car: police

FLORENCE: A man who allegedly fled from a traffic stop in southern New Jersey with a police officer inside his car in facing numerous charges.

Florence police tell the Burlington County Times that 19-year-old Randy Eno Mase of Wilmington, Delaware was stopped early Saturday for speeding.

When officers started speaking with Mase, they say he tried to drive off. An officer then entered the car through the driver's side door and tried to stop him, but Mase drove off with the officer still in the vehicle.

A short time later, the officer was able to stop the vehicle.

Mase faces numerous charges, including aggravated assault, eluding and drug charges. He also faces several motor vehicle citations.

Protests can’t stop govt from working for progress: Shahbaz

LAHORE: Chief Minister Punjab, Shahbaz Sharif has said that sit-in or protest could not stop the incumbent government from working for the progress and prosperity of Pakistan.

Talking to a delegation of journalists, columnists, and intellectuals from Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan here Sunday, Shahbaz said the government is moving in a right direction and will continue the mission to serve the masses at all costs.

He said if the Nadipur power project could be completed in 7 months, the government could overcome energy crisis in four years.

Shahbaz said the federal government has allocated Rs55 billion for Karachi-Lahore Motorway and Rs30 billion for Diamer-Bhasha and Dasu Dams, adding work on these projects would begin soon.

Altaf demands to stop illegal activities of ‘death squad’

LONDON: Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) Chief Altaf Hussain has expressed concerned over “illegal arrests” of the party workers by alleged police personnel in civilian cloths.

In a statement issued here Monday, Altaf Hussain demanded of the Karachi Police Chief Shahid Hayat, IG Sindh Iqbal Mehmood and DG Rangers Major General Rizwan Akhtar to take immediate notice and get the arrested MQM workers released.

He also called for stern action against the policemen involved in this “illegal activity” and to stop the active “death squad” allegedly involved in the killings of the MQM workers.

Politicians should declare assets to stop corruption: Imran

LAHORE: The Chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, said on Thursday that politicians had to declare their assets to root out corruption from the country.

Speaking at the launching ceremony of a book, ‘Haan Ye Sach Hai’, written by Brig (retd) Aslam Ghumman on corruption in the government ranks, the PTI chief said that corruption was an impediment to all growth efforts in Pakistan. The PTI chief said that corrupt leaders could never eliminate corruption in the country as it was the reason behind the decline in the level of governance and welfare in the country.

The ceremony was also addressed by PTI central leaders and parliamentarians, including Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, Shah Mehmood Qureshi, renowned intellectuals and writers including Hassan Nisar, Mujibur Rehman Shami and Orya Maqbool Jan.

Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan said that corruption always started from the top and the leader who did not speak the truth always bred dishonesty at every level and in every department. He said whether it was an autocrat or democrat, their dishonesty would destroy the institutions like the judiciary, police, NAB, etc. To hide their own corruption, they either bought these people or removed them and brought corrupt people to serve their purposes, he added.

He said for a leader to succeed, he must have the courage to be honest and take tough decisions which might encourage the institutions like the judiciary, police, NAB, etc. To hide their own corruption, they either bought these people or removed them and brought corrupt people to serve their purposes, he added.

He said for a leader to succeed, he must have the courage to be honest and take tough decisions which might encourage the society to follow the values set the Holy Prophet Muhammad (SAW).

Imran said that leaders like Quaid-i-Azam and Mandela rendered great sacrifices for a larger cause. They were the leaders who could bring about a change and progress in their countries. According to a Gallup survey, in last eight months in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP), the people of the province had achieved the satisfaction level of upto 57 percent as compared to the Punjab and other provinces, where the level of satisfaction was 27 percent and 37 percent, he added.

He said this was an indication of how in eight months corruption in KP had started decreasing and institute building started. In the next three months, a great change in the KP would be witnessed where people would support the government performance even more, he said.

Speaking on the occasion, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi said most of the governments had been afraid of their past and had bowed down in front of autocrats. The rulers ran away from the country when things got tough, leaving the poor on their own, he said and added that the struggle against corruption was a major challenge to create a fair governance system.

PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the book was a great effort by Brig (retd) Aslam Ghumman to reveal such dishonesty. The PTI would encourage such transparency within and outside the party, he added.

PTI Punjab President Ejaz Chaudhry said that the PTI Chairman Imran Khan had always termed corruption the root cause of all evils and this book gave examples of how this had been true in the previous governments. The PTI would set new standards of accountability and transparency, he added.

Brig (retd) Aslam Ghumman, the author of the book in his address, said he had spent all his life fighting against corruption and future generations could benefit from the lessons in the book. He said Imran Khan was the leader who would be able to purge the whole set up of corruption and set the country on the path of progress.PTI Punjab Information Secretary Andleeb Abbas, MNA Shafqat Mehmood, MPAs Dr Murad Ross and Shanial Routh were also present.

'Malaysia will not stop looking for missing jetliner'

AP Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said on Saturday that his country will not stop searching for the jet and will not put a “dollar—and—cents” value to the ongoing operations.

"The search goes beyond dollars and cents," Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said.

Malaysia on Saturday vowed to intensify the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines jetliner, even as the nearly month—long multi—national search operations from the South China Sea to the Indian Ocean failed to yield any clues.

Malaysian Transport Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said his country will not stop searching for the jet and will not put a “dollar—and—cents” value to the ongoing operations.

“The search goes beyond dollars and cents,” he told a press briefing in Kuala Lumpur. “Malaysia will not stop looking for [flight] MH370.” His comments came after reports that the search for the Beijing—bound Boeing aircraft, with 239 people on board, has become the most expensive search—and—rescue operation in recent history.

The Beijing—bound flight disappeared on March 8 after taking off from the Malaysian capital.

“The search operation has been difficult, challenging and complex,” he said. “In spite of all this, our determination remains undiminished.” “We will continue the search with the same level of vigour and intensity,” he added. “We owe this to the families of those on board, and to the wider world.” Up to 13 aircraft and 11 ships have joined in the search for the plane in the southern Indian Ocean off the coast of Perth, Australia.

A British submarine and two Australian vessels with underwater search equipment have intensified the underwater search in the hope of picking up a battery—powered signal from the plane’s black box. This signal could expire soon.

The search is focused on about 217,000 square kilometres of the Indian Ocean, some 1,700 kilometres north—west of Perth.

Hishammuddin said that Malaysia will continue to lead the investigation and has accredited Australia, China, the United States, Britain and France to become part of the team.

He said the investigation team will be divided into three groups looking into airworthiness, operations, and medical and human factors, respectively.

Hishammuddin denied allegations by Malaysian opposition figure Anwar Ibrahim that Malaysia was hiding something and was not forthright in providing information about the incident.

“These allegations are completely untrue,” he said. “As I have said before, the search for MH370 should be above politics.”

Pakistan should stop power, gas theft: ADB

 

ISLAMABAD: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has asked Pakistan to stop power and gas theft as an increase in their tariffs may increase inflation.
The Bank will provide Islamabad $3 billion over a three-year period, said its country director Werner E Liepach on Tuesday.“The ADB is going to disburse between $500 million and $600 million in the current fiscal year - before June 30. Further, we are expecting to provide between $900 million and $1 billion each year, over the next three years, in the shape of project aid and programme loans,” said Liepach, while addressing a news conference to launch the Asian Development Outlook (ADO) report for 2014.

According to the report, Pakistan’s economy is heading towards improvement and net international reserves held by the central bank will jump from $5 billion dollars to $9 billion within a few months. The ADB expects inflows from privatisation proceeds, foreign donors, the auction of 3G/4G licences as well as other measures.

Flanked by ADB’s economist Farzana Noshab, Liepach said that the bank had revised upward its GDP growth projection for Pakistan from 3 percent to 3.4 percent for 2013-14. This growth rate is marginally slower than the rate in FY13.

However, cautioned Liepach, inflation would rise to nine percent in FY14 as a consequence of the expected increase in the gas and electricity tariffs.“Things are improving,” he said, citing reasons for appreciating the government policies. “But Pakistan’s economy willhave to consolidate in 2014 and 2015 by pursuing reforms. And then the stage will be set for higher growth trajectory in the range of six to seven percent per annum in the subsequent years that can dent poverty and bring prosperity in the lives of the people of Pakistan.”

Liepach said macroeconomic and security challenges continue to weigh on the economy. Agriculture is expected to be weaker due to a drop in cotton output, which will partly offset the improvements in sugarcane and rice production. Ongoing rains, however, may benefit the upcoming wheat crop, despite a reduction in the sowing area this year.

However, the ABD believes that the pickup in large scale manufacturing, which grew by 6.7 percent during the first six months of FY14 (three times the rate during the same period a year earlier), may compensate for the weaknesses of the agriculture sector.

The report expects larger and more reliable power supply, partly due to better load management as well as the increasing use of alternative fuels. This, in turn, is expected to help revive the production of food, fertilisers, chemicals, electronics, and leather products, while petroleum refinery output will continue its robust growth.

Textiles are expected to stage a recovery from their weak growth trajectory due to the benefits of the Generalised Scheme of Preferences Plus status granted by the European Union to Pakistan from January 2014.

According to the report, in the first eight months of FY14, inflation averaged 8.6 percent, reflecting the one-percent increase in the general sales tax rate to 17 percent, increases in power tariffs in August and October 2013 for commercial and bulk residential and industrial users, and significant currency depreciation against the major currencies.

Reflecting the shortages in the supply of perishable items and higher wheat prices, food inflation rose to 13 percent in November 2013 before receding to 7.2 percent in January 2014, making for an average of 9.3 percent over the eight-month period. Core inflation was relatively stable and averaged 8.4 percent during the period.

Further adjustments to electric and gas tariffs, as well as a levy to support gas infrastructure development, are expected to keep inflation high over the forecast period, said the report. Average consumer price inflation is projected at nine percent in FY14 and 9.2 percent in FY15.

The authors of the report believe that achieving fiscal sustainability will remain a major challenge for policymakers in Pakistan.The report said that the fiscal discipline had eroded in recent years with the persistent need to finance expanding energy sector subsidies, growing losses incurred by state-owned enterprises and high expenditures for security.

Pakistan’s tax-to-GDP ratio stood at 8.5 percent in FY13, which is one of the lowest in the region and reflects structural and administrative issues, notes the report. As a result, spending for badly needed infrastructure has relied largely on foreign inflows.

Additional spending requirements have emanated from consecutive natural disasters in the past few years, as well as from the need to establish social safety nets, added the report.

Higher fiscal deficits and very limited foreign inflows during the past two years increased significantly short-term domestic borrowing, causing interest payments to balloon.Moreover, high government borrowing from commercial banks also contributes to low private sector credit.

The report noted that the domestic portion of public debt rose sharply for the second year in a row, from 38 percent of GDP at the end of FY12 to 41.5 percent in FY13, to finance high fiscal deficits.

Foreign debt fell by 4.6 percent of GDP in FY13, mainly as International Monetary Fund’s debt was repaid. Total public debt (including external liabilities) at the end of FY13 amounted to 63.3 percent of GDP, exceeding the legal limit of 60 percent set under the Fiscal Responsibility Debt Limitation Act of 2005.

The federal government is implementing its fiscal framework under the IMF’s 3-year programme.According to the ADB report, the implementation on fiscal framework in the aftermath of 18th constitutional amendment and NFC (National Finance Commission) Award is challenging.

Efforts would be required from federal and provincial governments alike, as some taxes (notably on agriculture) fall under provincial administration and reforms would help enhance their own revenues.

Currently, over 90 percent of provincial revenues are transfers of federal shared taxes. As provinces have assumed a greater share of federal resources and spending responsibilities through devolution, their fiscal performance has become even more important in relation to the national fiscal outcomes.

A mechanism to ensure provincial fiscal discipline is likely to be a crucial consideration in the upcoming discussions for the 2015 award, the report concluded.

Gulaab Gang producers challenge court decision to stop film's release

inShare

Gulaab Gang was slated to release on March 7.

The producers of actresses Madhuri Dixit and Juhi Chawla's film Gulaab Gang have moved the Delhi High Court asking that the stay order on the movie be lifted. The court will hear the plea later today.

Yesterday, the Delhi High Court ruled that the movie not be released anywhere in India in its censored or uncensored form till May 8. Gulaab Gang was meant to release tomorrow.

Activist Sampat Pal, the leader of the real-life Gulabi Gang - a group of pink sari clad women vigilantes from Uttar Pradesh - on which the film is based, moved the Delhi High Court to block the release of the film.

Sampat Pal moved the high court seeking a restraining order on the release of Gulaab Gang, saying the filmmakers did not ask her permission before making the movie.

She also sought financial compensation, saying there are certain scenes in movie which will affect her reputation.

The court agreed that the film promos, shown in January 2014, depicted Ms Pal "in the negative light and gave her a fresh cause of action".

"Reputation once lost is lost forever and can not come back and even can't be compensated with monetary terms," the court said.

Gulaab Gang is directed by debutant Soumik Sen and produced by Anubhav Sinha.

With agency inputs

News UK news NI paid phone hacker's legal fees to stop him 'naming names', court hears

NI paid phone hacker's legal fees to stop him 'naming names', court hears

Rebekah Brooks says News International believed Glenn Mulcaire 'could say anyone or anything' in Max Clifford civil case

• Monday 3 March 2014 14.35 GMT 

News International agreed to pay Glenn Mulcaire's legal fees to stop him implicating other reporters in a court case brought by Max Clifford, Rebekah Brooks told the phone-hacking trial. Photograph: Oli Scarff/Getty Images

News International agreed to pay phone hacker Glenn Mulcaire's legal fees to stop him implicating other reporters in a court case that loomed after PR Max Clifford launched civil proceedings for damages over hacking, the Old Bailey has heard.
Giving evidence for a seventh day in the phone-hacking trial, Rebekah Brooks said she was not involved in the decision taken in 2009 but she agreed with it at the time.
The firm's lawyer Tom Crone agreed to pay for Mulcaire to be represented after it transpired that he could be forced to identify who had commissioned him to hack phones if Clifford's case came to court.
Brooks told the court: "We were opposing that order – again this is in the context of a civil liability – on the basis that he was an unreliable witness going forward naming names, and both financially and reputationally we didn't want that to happen. "The view was that he could say anyone or anything."
She said there were concerns after it emerged during police disclosure that Mulcaire's notes appeared to include the names of other people apart from the five victims named in the proceedings against him in 2008 which included Clifford but also sports agent Sky Andrews.
"The list of potential civil claimants was growing sideways if you like," she said under examination by her defence counsel Jonathan Laidlaw QC.
"Our decision at News International was to settle as confidentially as possible to prevent further damage reputationally and financially."
She said he "inherited" that policy and "maintained it with Max Clifford".
Brooks, who became News International chief executive in 2009, said that News Group Newspapers, publisher of the News of the World and the Sun had fallen out with Clifford and her predecessor Les Hinton had imposed a ban on working with him. He had earned "millions and millions of pounds" for stories from the publisher, she said.
The jury heard that Brooks struck a deal with Clifford for £200,000 a year in 2009 to resume business with the Sun and the News of the World, ending the three- or four-year ban.
Brooks said he felt he needed to be compensated for loss of earnings over the blackout period.
Asked if the civil case caused her concern that hacking might have taken place during her editorship, she replied: "Absolutely not, at this stage we are still dealing with 2005 or 2006."
Asked whether whether "throughout 2010" she ever had concerns that hacking took place on the News of the World, which she edited between 2000 and 2003, she responsed: "No".
The court heard that the Guardian reported that Sienna Miller had launched civil proceedings for hacking in 2010 but Brooks felt suspending the NoW reporter the paper claimed to be involved was not the right course of action.
At the time News Corp had launched a takeover bid for BSkyB and the Guardian revelation led to an exchange of emails with the then head of corporate affairs, Matthew Anderson.
Brooks said that announcing the journalist's suspension was not going to "change Vince Cable's view" of the bid.
She commented on BBC political editor Nick Robinson's view of the Miller article, jurors heard. "He rubbished the whole thing and said it was one side of the civil case and total unprofessional reporting," she said.
Brooks denies four charges that she conspired to hack phones, conspired to conceal evidence from police, and conspired to pay public officials for stories.
The trial continues.

Ukraine urges UN Security Council to stop Russian aggression

UNITED NATIONS: Ukraine urged an emergency session of the UN Security Council on Saturday to act now to stop Russian "aggression" in Crimea, accusing Moscow of brutally violating the world body's charter.
"We call on the Security Council now to do everything possible to stop aggression of the Russian Federation to Ukraine. There is still a chance," Ukrainian Ambassador Yuriy Sergeyev said.
Russian troops entered Ukrainian territory illegally as an "act of aggression against the state" and "their number is increasing every coming hour," he added.
Sergeyev called for the deployment of international monitors and said Russia had "brutally violated the basic principles of the charter of the United Nations."
"We urge all member states of the United Nations to demonstrate solidarity with the Ukrainian nation to protect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country," Sergeyev added.

Ukraine leader asks Putin to stop ’aggression’ in Crimea

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KIEV: Ukraine's interim president Oleksandr Turchynov on Friday appealed to Vladimir Putin to stop Russia's "naked aggression" against the country and withdraw from the flashpoint Crimea peninsula.

"I personally appeal to President Putin to immediately stop military provocation and to withdraw from the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. It's a naked aggression against Ukraine," he told reporters after additional Russian forces were reported to have landed in Crimea, where Moscow has maintained a military base for years.