Zardari had assured US, UK, Kayani of Musharraf’s immunity

 

ISLAMABAD: Former army chief General Ashfaq Pervez Kayani had played the most important role in brokering an immunity deal for former president General Pervez Musharraf in 2008, according to which Asif Zardari gave a firm commitment to the US, UK and Gen Kayani that indemnity for Musharraf would be forthcoming if he stepped down.
According to at least two leaked American diplomatic cables which had made their way to the international media on December 7, 2010, a series of political and strategic blunders by Musharraf had given cause and justification to both Asif Zardari and the then army chief General Kayani to work separately for his honourable exit.

In two separate cables written by then US ambassador to Islamabad Anne W. Patterson, details were given about how General Kayani (who had just been elevated as the army chief after Musharraf took off his uniform to retain the presidency), and Asif Ali Zardari, the leader of the majority party in the new National Assembly (after the 2008 polls), had systematically started to distance themselves from Musharraf.

In a ‘brief’ and ‘talking points’ prepared for Admiral Mike Mullen during his early 2008 visit to Pakistan, Ambassador Patterson states:

“As expected, Gen Ashfaq Kayani is taking slow but deliberate steps to distance the army from now civilian President Pervez Musharraf.” In a separate cable about a meeting of US Representatives Adam Schiff and Allyson Schwartz with Asif Zardari in May 2008, the American ambassador had given details of how the PPP co-chairman (who later became president following Musharraf’s exit) advocated an ‘honourable exit’ for Musharraf.

According to the cable, “Zardari blamed Musharraf for not taking enough responsibility for the war on terrorism in Pakistan”, which resulted in a marked increase in anti-US sentiments in the country.

“Anti-US feeling will go away when the old faces go away,” the leaked cable noted, adding that the American government should no longer rely on just Musharraf in fighting terrorism. In her own assessment of Musharraf’s public standing, Ambassador Patterson wrote in the cable that a year ago, his popularity was high. But “beginning with his decision to fire the Chief Justice (Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry) in March 2007, Musharraf has made repeated blunders culminating in a state of emergency and temporary suspension of the Constitution”. A detailed reading of some of these cables suggest that by this time all three major players, Asif Zardari, General Kayani and the American ambassador, had made up their minds that time was up for the former military ruler who had already been accused of involvement in the tragic assassination of Ms Benazir Bhutto.

According to one of the leaked cables, the US ambassador wrote on August 23, 2008, during her meetings with Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and General Kayani, immunity for General Pervez Musharraf was discussed besides some other issues. The US Ambassador met with Pakistan People’s Party leader Asif Zardari on August 23, 2008 with then prime minister Gilani on August 21 and with then army chief General Kayani on August 20, 2008.

“In separate meetings with Asif Zardari, PM Gilani and chief of army staff Kayani, the ambassador pressed for quick action on immunity for former Musharraf. Zardari and Gilani said flatly they were committed to providing immunity, but not until after the presidential election (now scheduled for September 6, 2008). Pushing immunity now, they believed, could jeopardize Asif Zardari’s candidacy. General Kayani expressed concern that if immunity becomes tied up with the ongoing debate over the judges’ future, it may never happen. Zardari plans to continue to slow roll action on the judges’ restoration but remains confident that Nawaz Sharif will not walk out of the coalition.

“Nawaz’s deadlines for action on the judges continue to pass unfulfilled; the next one is scheduled for August 27, 2008. The August 20 decision by Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) to back Zardari for president has strengthened Zardari’s hand against Nawaz Sharif. Nawaz is left with the option of walking out of the coalition, but having little prospect of forcing a new general election in the short term.

“Asif Zardari is walking tall these days, hopefully not too tall to forget his promise to General Kayani and to us on an immunity deal.”

According to the leaked diplomatic cables, “Asif Zardari told the US Ambassador that he was committed to indemnity for Pervez Musharraf.

The ambassador stressed that only the promise of indemnity had persuaded Musharraf to step down as president. We believed, as we had often said, that Musharraf should have a dignified retirement and not be hounded out of the country. Zardari (subsequently) cited a British anecdote about the Spanish empire and said: “Tell the most powerful man in the world that there is no way that I would go back on what I have said.” Zardari noted that he already had firmly committed to the US, the UK and chief of army staff Kayani that indemnity for Musharraf would be forthcoming.

As the ambassador urged him to do it quickly, Zardari said flatly that to do it before he was elected president would lose him votes, but he would pass both the legislation and a presidential pardon as soon as he was elected. Zardari then revealed that Musharraf had approached chief justice (Abdul Hameed) Dogar about issuing a restraining order against the impeachment motion, but Justice Dogar had refused. Zardari also alleged that Musharraf had planned to replace General Kayani as COAS if Dogar had blocked the impeachment. Zardari said he was trying to keep Nawaz in the coalition and was candid that he planned to tie up the judges’ issue for a long time. He added that parliament would debate the restoration of the judges; chief justice Dogar would then submit some rulings on the restoration of the judges; all this could take months. In the meantime, he was trying to persuade former Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry to become Governor of Balochistan.

Going by the same leaked cable which was written by the US ambassador, Zardari said he did not think Nawaz would leave the coalition, but he admitted the Pakistan Muslim League had become increasingly testy. He said that he had already agreed with Nawaz Sharif to curtail the powers of the president and then allow Nawaz to be eligible for a third term as prime minister; both measures would require constitutional amendments. Zardari said he also had leverage over Shahbaz Sharif, who through paperwork snafus, had been technically elected illegally for a third term as the chief minister.

This, too, would have to be resolved in parliament, Zardari said. “So I can give them something they want,” noted Asif Zardari, “that’s what politics is all about.”

According to the leaked cable, after an August 20 (2008) meeting with the visiting S/CT Coordinator Dell Dailey, General Kayani asked the ambassador to stay behind and discuss his concerns that Asif Zardari was delaying General Musharraf’s immunity bill. Kayani had heard the large meeting of coalition partners (chaired on August 19, 2008 by the newly returned Bilawal Bhutto) had discussed the judges primarily. Then they decided to take a 72-hour break to consult the party members.

General Kayani said he took Asif Zardari’s commitments to now ex-president Pervez Musharraf as the most important argument in persuading him to resign. Asif Zardari made very specific commitments to Kayani. Now, for Asif Zardari to delay makes him (Kayani) look bad within his own institution “and I have to take the Army along with me.” Kayani also noted that the delay does nothing for Zardari’s reputation for trustworthiness. If this issue gets conflated with the judges and with Zardari’s own desires to be president, it will become too complicated to pass, Kayani said.

The US ambassador met with Prime Minister Gilani and Interior Minister Rehman Malik for 30 minutes on August 21, 2008. Gilani said the PPP was going to provide immunity to Musharraf, but the timing was important.

They were afraid that putting forward immunity legislation would lose them votes for Asif Zardari‘s presidential campaign. The ambassador pressed on this issue, saying that Musharraf would never have agreed to resign without the promise of immunity. He assured the ambassador that he and the party did not want vengeance. Regarding immunity, Gilani said “many will say that we have done a deal with America, but I still understand that we have to do it.”

Six years later, Gilani revealed on Friday that an understanding had been reached with the establishment that Musharraf would be given an honourable exit if he resigned, instead of going through impeachment proceedings.

Three UK varsities, 57 colleges banned from sponsoring international students

 

LONDON: Three universities and 57 private colleges have been told they cannot sponsor any new international students in a major crackdown on suspect English language qualifications.
In a statement to the House of Commons on June 24, immigration minister James Brokenshire said he was taking the action in the light of “detailed and wide-ranging investigation into actions by organised criminals to falsify English language tests for student visa applicants”.

It follows a BBC Panorama expose in February, which revealed systematic cheating in tests from an organisation called the Educational Testing Service (ETS).More than 29,000 invalid results and 19,000 questionable results had been identified so far, though “it is likely that the true totals will be higher,” said Brokenshire, who condemned the organised criminality behind the fraud.

Brokenshire said the Home Office had suspended the highly trusted status of Glyndwr University, in north Wales, which enables it to sponsor the visas of non-European Union students.

Some 230 students sponsored by Glyndwr had been identified as having invalid test results provided by ETS – a figure rising to 350 if questionable scores were counted.The Home Office has also told the University of Bedfordshire and the University of West London that “they are no longer allowed to sponsor new students pending further investigations which will decide whether they too should be suspended”, Brokenshire added.

At the UWL, the number of sponsored students with invalid scores stood at 210 – rising to 290 if questionable ones were included, he said.In addition, Brokenshire said the licences of 57 private further education colleges to recruit foreign students had been suspended. According to an official list seen by the Times Higher Education, they include the London School of Business and Finance (LSBF).

Further abuse was also taking place in the London sub-campuses of other UK universities, but they had not been suspended as they were taking steps to resolve the issues, Brokenshire added.

However, the Quality Assurance Agency had been asked to examine the London campuses to see whether any further action should be taken against the parent institutions, he said. Immigration officers had also established that a number of overseas university students were earning more than £20,000 a year despite the rule that they must not work more than 20 hours a week during term time, he said.

One university student was working a 60-hour week for six months, he said. Overseas students at several private colleges are not allowed to work, yet one college — LSBF — has 290 foreign students who worked and paid tax last year, he added.

A Glyndwr spokesman said the university was “deeply upset” that its sponsor licence had been suspended and was working with the UK Visas and Immigration “to investigate the issues raised”.

Bedfordshire said it had audited “all current students who have progressed to us from ETS” and this had enabled it to “reassure” the UKVI that there was no “evidence of any organised attack” on the university’s compliance with immigration rules.

West London vice-chancellor Peter John said it would be “working closely with UKVI over the next seven days and will issue a further statement after that time”. A spokesman for the LSBF said it was “surprised and disappointed” by the visa licence suspensions. “We take our commitments very seriously and we will work closely with UKVI to resolve this situation swiftly in the near future,” he said.

Liam Byrne, shadow minister for universities, science and skills, said Labour supported “any action” that protects the “hard-earned reputation” of the UK higher education “but today’s threat has come from another immigration crisis that’s happened on this government’s watch.”

UK Border Force seizes heroin worth millions

LONDON: Millions of pounds worth of heroin woven into hand-made rugs and carpets was discovered by Border Force officers in a consignment being shipped from Peshawar in Pakistan via Abu Dhabi.

Border Force officials became suspicious of the 46-piece consignment at Manchester Airport after a sniffer dog alerted its handler to one of the carpets. After investigations officers have found over 50 kilograms of heroin woven into the carpets. The seizure has shocked the border and customs officials who have said that the smugglers are becoming more and more sophisticated in their methods and can go to any length for their heinous purposes.

The drugs were discovered on April 24th but the examination of the consignment continues. Following the discovery two people were arrested on suspicion of drug importation offences in London by the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) Border Policing Command. Both are believed to be Pakistan, a source told Geo.

According to Border Force officials the haul is among the largest drug seizures made at the Manchester Airport. The Border Force has termed the seizure a result of impressive vigilance and hard work of the officers given the lengths criminals go to avoid detection.

If the sniffer dog had not spotted the carpet then, officers fear, the streets of Britain would have seen millions of Pounds worth drugs on the streets. The source said that the drugs are believed to have been coming from Afghanistan via Pakistan.

Pak govt must defend media freedom: US, UK, EU

ISLAMABAD: The United States, the United Kingdom and Delegation of the European Union on Friday called upon the Government of Pakistan to resolutely defend the media freedom in the country, adding that gags on the media and attacks on journalists were not acceptable.
While marking the World Press Freedom Day today, May 3, and supporting freedom of expression, they have also made mention of the recent assassination bid on Geo’s top anchor Hamid Mir and called upon the government to investigate and bring the perpetrators to justice.

The European Union Delegation, in agreement with the EU Heads of Mission in Pakistan, expressed in a statement its deep concern over the steadily deteriorating environment for media freedom in Pakistan.

“The recent attacks on well-known journalists Raza Rumi and Hamid Mir are only the latest in a large number of incidents. Since 2008, thirty-four members of the media have been killed, making Pakistan one of the most dangerous countries in the world for journalists,” says the EU, while underlining that freedom of expression is a fundamental principle in a democratic society given its essential role for the realisation of other human rights. The EU Delegation and EU Member States Missions, while welcoming the commitment of the Government of Pakistan to investigate the case of Hamid Mir, expects that similar attention will be paid to all other cases. They note that in many cases the offenders have not been brought to trial.

“The EU Delegation and EU Member States Missions therefore call upon the Government of Pakistan to ensure that all abuses committed against journalists are duly investigated and that appropriate action is taken against perpetrators while the public is provided with information on the outcome of enquiries,” adds the statement.

A strong appeal was also made to the government to resolutely defend the media freedom, this being an important component of freedom of expression as defined in Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), to which Pakistan is party and has already made a strong commitment to uphold as part of the GSP Plus scheme.

“The EU Delegation and EU Member States Missions reiterate their call on the Government of Pakistan to create an environment where the media can work freely, effectively and without fear. The Delegation and Member States Missions stand ready to assist Pakistan in developing the necessary conditions for this,” adds the statement.

The US Embassy, which earlier gave two statements in support of Hamid Mir, on Friday while marking the World Press Freedom Day, said it recognises, honours and underscores the essential role of independent media in fostering and protecting freedom of expression and democratic principles.

“The United States values freedom of the press as a key component of democratic governance. Democratic societies are not infallible, but they are accountable, and the exchange of ideas is the foundation for accountable governance. In the United States and in many places around the world, the press fosters active debate, provides investigative reporting, and serves as a forum to express different points of view, particularly on behalf of those who are marginalised in society,” said the statement.

British High Commissioner in Pakistan Philip Barton, in a hard hitting statement, said: “It is hard to escape the fact that 2014 has so far been a particularly bloody year for journalism in Pakistan. A range of media houses from across the political spectrum have been attacked. Journalists and their support staff have been targeted and in some cases, tragically, killed.”

Saying that Pakistan remains one of the world’s most dangerous places to be a journalist, the high commissioner adds: “Since my arrival in Pakistan at the beginning of the year, I have been struck by the vibrancy of the country’s media. This breadth and diversity is striking and is proof of how far the industry has come since 2008’s deregulatory reforms.”

Calling on “all” in Pakistan to support a free and fair press, where journalists can go about their vital work without fear, intimidation or harassment, the high commissioner noted: “Journalists, bloggers, media organisations and individuals must be allowed to operate and to express themselves freely and safely in line with international standards. The recent surge in violence against journalists in Pakistan highlights the need for action in this area.”

Pakistani journalists, he added, have played a central role in embedding public support for democratic values – “witnessed so clearly in last year’s historic elections”. Freedom of expression, he says, is fundamental to a strong democracy.

“An open and effective press serves to improve the environment for long-term social, political and economic stability. Journalists are crucial to this work,” he adds.

Media should not be censored: UK

LONDON: Britain has said that media should be allowed to freely discuss, criticise and debate issues and make informed decisions, in accordance with international human rights law.

A Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) spokesman, when asked about the Ministry of Defence’s petition to Pemra seeking to shut down Geo News and Jang Group, told The News that the UK is a strong supporter of the freedom of expression.

The spokesman stressed that Britain believed that free and informed journalism is fundamental to any democracy. The FCO spokesman said that across the world, Britain supported free expression and critical thinking, including Pakistan.

The spokesman referred to the statements issued by Britain’s High Commissioner to Pakistan Philip Barton and senior foreign office minister Baroness Sayeeda Warsi in which both senior British government representatives expressed their shock at the shooting of Hamid Mir.

Sayeeda Warsi said that press freedom was an essential part of Pakistan. She added: “This appalling attack on Hamid Mir is an attack on all who believe in democracy. Hamid Mir is in my thoughts and we wish and pray for his speedy recovery.”

Philip Barton said he was shocked to learn of the attack on Hamid Mir. “I was greatly shocked and saddened to hear of the attack on Hamid Mir — another attack on journalism and freedom of expression in Pakistan. Our thoughts and prayers are with Mr Mir, his family and all at Geo TV at this difficult time. We send him our best wishes for a speedy recovery.”

PM to visit UK this month, says Sartaj

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit the United Kingdom for a summit level meeting later this month and discuss with his British counterpart the means to boost trade between the two countries.

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz said this while speaking as chief guest at a reception hosted by the British High Commissioner to Islamabad Philip Barton here on Tuesday to mark the 88th birthday of Queen Elizabeth 11.

Sartaj Aziz said the annual bilateral trade between Pakistan and the UK had already gone up from 1.6 billion pounds to 2.3 billion pounds and the two sides were targeting to take it to 3 billion pounds during the current fiscal year. He said the British entrepreneurs had been making very useful investments in Pakistan that would help further strengthen the trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

Besides, the two countries were also working to promote relations in the areas of arts, culture and music, Sartaj said. The British high commissioner praised Pakistan’s sacrifices in the war against terrorism and said Britain stood behind it in its drive against “the evil of terrorism”.

“These continue to be challenging times for Pakistan and we pay tributes to its people who have sacrificed so much. The UK stands behind Pakistan and its people as it tackles the evil of terrorism,” he said.

The event was attended by around 1,000 guests and representatives of political parties, military, diplomatic corps, civil society, media and business. The year 2014 marks the 62nd anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s accession to the throne.

UK: Body of missing Pakistani student found

Police searching for a Pakistani student of Bradford University, who went missing in Liverpool more than six weeks ago, have recovered a body from the River Mersey.

Aamir Qudeer, 21, a first-year engineering student, was last seen in Bradford on February 26, before travelling by train to Leeds and then vanishing in Liverpool.

His family have made repeated pleas for information on his disappearance, including appeals in Bradford, Leeds and Liverpool city centres.

Investigating officer Detective Inspector Neil Benstead said: "We can confirm that we were alerted by Merseyside Police to the discovery of a man's body, which was found in the river in South Liverpool on the morning of Sunday, 13 April.

"The body was recovered by emergency services, following a call from a member of the public at about 9am.

Pakistani student wins distinction from top UK university

LONDON: A Pakistani student has gained top position in Bachelor’s of Business and Finance at the Heriot-Watt University by gaining 14 As.

Ahmer Baloch, aged 26, originally from Haveli Naseer Khan, a small village in the district of Lodhran, started his studies at the UK university in 2012 after qualifying for the American High School Diploma from Pakistan’s American School of International Academics (ASIA) in Lahore.

Heriot-Watt University is ranked within the top 20 universities of the UK i.e. 9th on the Sunday Times Top 100 Universities and 18th on The Guardian University Rankings, 2nd in Scotland and has the top ranking for many degree disciplines in the UK. Heriot Watt has three campuses in Scotland, one campus in London and one each in Dubai and Malaysia with combined student strength of over 30,000 students.

Although the graduation ceremony will be held on 27th of June 2014, the results have been published and it has been confirmed to Ahmer Baloch that he has topped the university.

Speaking to The News, Ahmer Baloch said he felt very proud at achieving the distinction: “It’s a proud moment for me as a Pakistani student from a highly ranked overseas university. I want this to be an inspiring and motivating factor for all the Pakistani students out there and want to let them know that if they work hard and persevere then only sky is the limit. From all the students combined, less than 5 percent achieved a distinction (highest possible mark for a degree). Among those that did achieve a distinction, I was the highest achiever (top graduate) around the world.” Ahmer Baloch, who now has offers of jobs from leading European financial firms, wants to make his achievement a special note for all the youngsters in Pakistan who lose their way in high school and come to a point where they think all hope is lost for them. It’s because Ahmer Baloch had given up on studying himself when he was 18. After finishing high school, he thought studying was a waste of time and he would be better off working on the lands of his father in Lodhran.

That all changed when he met his future wife Umme Rubab, a Briton of Pakistan origin who is a broker at a London firm, in Lahore and she went on to change Baloch’s whole perception.

“She taught me how to remain positive in the most negative of situations and never give up. I also learnt from her the joy of being self made and independent. I moved to London after my marriage and started my bachelor’s once again but this time, with absolute determination and drive to achieve success. I worked extremely hard preparing for the exams and after the finals, I could easily say that I was expecting to be the top in my class. Little did I know how strongly Allah helps those who help themselves. Two weeks after the results were posted, I received a letter from my university informing me that not only had I achieved a distinction, I had achieved a higher distinction among all of the university’s students around the globe! To make it even better, the degree helped me land a job at Ernst & Young, one of the ‘Big 4’ Professional Services firms in the UK and one of the best around the world.”

Ahmer paid tribute to his father Muhammad Iqbal Khan Baloch who never gave up on him “and found a way to see past all my previous mistakes and persisted with supporting me financially no matter what”.

UK submarine joins MH370 plane hunt

 

AP Royal New Zealand Air Force flight Sgt. Chris Poole on board a P-3 Orion, flicks switches on an instrument panel in the cockpit during an operation to find missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 in the southern Indian Ocean.

The prolonged search for the crashed airliner continued on Wednesday as a British nuclear submarine joined the multinational hunt in the Indian Ocean, ahead of Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s visit to Perth, Australia.

Mr. Razak will visit the RAAF Pearce air base — the departure point for the seven-nation search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 that went mysteriously missing on March 8 after its take-off from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board.

According to media reports here, Britain’s Royal Navy submarine HMS Tireless arrived in the search area about 1,500 kilometres northwest of Perth this morning. The personal jet of Peter Jackson — Oscar-winning New Zealand movie director — is also being used in the hunt.

Up to 10 planes and nine ships will assist in Wednesday’s search for the Boeing 777-200, a new Joint Agency Co-ordination Centre (JACC) here managing the search said in a statement.

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority has determined a search area of about 2,21,000 square kilometres, 1,504 kilometres northwest of Perth.

Nine military planes will assist in the search, while one civil jet will provide a communications relay. The first aircraft departed for the search area at 6am local time.

Nine ships have been tasked for the search that entered its 25th day on Wednesday.

The weather forecast for today’s search is for marginal conditions, with areas of broken cloud, sea fog and isolated thunderstorms, reducing visibility, the statement said.

Retired Australian Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, heading the JACC, yesterday said it was the most challenging search and rescue operation he had ever seen and warned efforts to trace the wreckage could take time.

He said the task was “very complex”, “very demanding” because the teams had no hard information to work from.

High Commissioner to UK decides to retire

LONDON: Pakistani High Commissioner to United Kingdom Wajid Shamsul Hassan has decided to retire. He would likely to hand over his charge to the Deputy High Commissioner in a week.

According to sources, Imran Mirza would be an acting Pakistani High Commissoner following the retirement of Wajid Shamsul Hassan.

Hassan offered his services as Pakistani High Commissioner to UK for six years.

New schedule for PTI UK party elections announced

LONDON: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced that the party’s intra-party elections will be held on Sunday 13th April in 12 regions of the United Kingdom and Ireland.

PTI leader Imran Khan had directed the postponement of the elections about two weeks ago to first review structure for its overseas chapters. A ‘Special Committee’ comprising of Asad Umar, Shafqat Mehmood, Saifullah Niazi and Dr Arif Alvi was tasked to review functioning of international chapters and submit recommendations for improvements.

A source in the PTI informed that the ‘Special Committee’ submitted their report to the PTI Central Executive (CEC) and Core Committees (CC) on 17th March in which several recommendations to strengthen Office of International Chapters (OIC) were made as well as recommendations on how to cater to the needs of party’s overseas chapters.

The PTI CEC and CC showed their satisfaction over functioning of the UK chapter and it was agreed that it was already in compliance with all the recommendations made by the committee. It was recommended that no reason existed to further put UK intra-party elections on hold and it was important that new schedule should be announced.

It has been announced that the election voting day will be Sunday 13th April; Monday 31st March will be the membership cut-off deadline; and Sunday 6th April has been set as the candidate panel nomination deadline. The elections will be held in 12 regions which include London, East of England, South East, South West, North East, North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, Wales, Yorkshire and Humber, East of, Scotland, West of Scotland.

Each region will elect a body comprising of president, vice president, information secretary and general secretary. Thereafter, national body for UK consisting of president and general secretary will be elected from amongst regional elected representatives.

These are 3rd intra-party elections in UK and the chapter has become an important overseas arm of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf which is contributing financially as well as in policy making of the party. Britain has played an important role in taking the PTI in the top league of Pakistani political parties. Its UK chapter is considered a leading overseas chapter in terms of all organisational aspects. The PTI has the distinction of being the only Pakistani political party that is now holding elections on time in a proper democratic manner. The MQM in the UK has a disciplined chapter like it has in Karachi. The PPP and the PML-N are fast becoming irrelevant because both parties lack any democracy in their ranks and these parties are divided in various factions. PTI has become probably the strongest overseas Pakistani party with more than 3,000 paid-up members, mainly youth. As compared the parties lag far behind.

New schedule for PTI UK party elections announced

LONDON: Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced that the party’s intra-party elections will be held on Sunday 13th April in 12 regions of the United Kingdom and Ireland.
PTI leader Imran Khan had directed the postponement of the elections about two weeks ago to first review structure for its overseas chapters. A ‘Special Committee’ comprising of Asad Umar, Shafqat Mehmood, Saifullah Niazi and Dr Arif Alvi was tasked to review functioning of international chapters and submit recommendations for improvements.

A source in the PTI informed that the ‘Special Committee’ submitted their report to the PTI Central Executive (CEC) and Core Committees (CC) on 17th March in which several recommendations to strengthen Office of International Chapters (OIC) were made as well as recommendations on how to cater to the needs of party’s overseas chapters.

The PTI CEC and CC showed their satisfaction over functioning of the UK chapter and it was agreed that it was already in compliance with all the recommendations made by the committee. It was recommended that no reason existed to further put UK intra-party elections on hold and it was important that new schedule should be announced.

It has been announced that the election voting day will be Sunday 13th April; Monday 31st March will be the membership cut-off deadline; and Sunday 6th April has been set as the candidate panel nomination deadline. The elections will be held in 12 regions which include London, East of England, South East, South West, North East, North West, West Midlands, East Midlands, Wales, Yorkshire and Humber, East of, Scotland, West of Scotland.

Each region will elect a body comprising of president, vice president, information secretary and general secretary. Thereafter, national body for UK consisting of president and general secretary will be elected from amongst regional elected representatives.

These are 3rd intra-party elections in UK and the chapter has become an important overseas arm of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf which is contributing financially as well as in policy making of the party. Britain has played an important role in taking the PTI in the top league of Pakistani political parties. Its UK chapter is considered a leading overseas chapter in terms of all organisational aspects. The PTI has the distinction of being the only Pakistani political party that is now holding elections on time in a proper democratic manner. The MQM in the UK has a disciplined chapter like it has in Karachi. The PPP and the PML-N are fast becoming irrelevant because both parties lack any democracy in their ranks and these parties are divided in various factions. PTI has become probably the strongest overseas Pakistani party with more than 3,000 paid-up members, mainly youth. As compared the parties lag far behind.

Dismayed by men, UK woman ‘marries’ pet dog

Puptial knot! A 47-year-old divorced woman in the UK has ‘married’ her pet dog because the canine had all the qualities she needed in a life partner. Apparently dismayed by men, Amanda Rodgers, from south London, married her loyal pet terrier called Sheba. The wedding ceremony took place in front of 200 people in Split, Croatia in August 2012, ‘Metro’ reported.
“Sheba had been in my life for years, making me laugh and comforting me when I was feeling low,” Rodgers said. “I couldn’t think of anything more I’d need from a life partner,” she said.
Rodgers had married a man 20 years ago but the relationship ended within a few months, the report said. “I got down on one knee and proposed. I could tell by her tail wagging that she said ‘yes’,” Rodgers said, adding she wanted things to be just right this time.
“I’d dreamed of a perfect wedding dress since I was small, I made it myself for the ceremony. The day was wonderful, more fun than the marriage. I gave her a kiss to seal the deal and then everyone threw confetti. It was a wonderful moment,” Rodgers added.
Rodgers said the wedding to Sheba may not have been real in the legal sense “but it was a nice way to mark what Sheba means to me”.

Osbourne’s UK home ravaged by floods

According to the Daily Mirror Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne's mansion in Buckinghamshire, UK has suffered extensive damage in recent flooding.

The cost of repairing the damage will reportedly cost up to £300,000 and the renovation work will take months to start as the seven-acre property is currently soaked in water.

Till then the high-profile couple will be staying in their Los Angeles home.

Ozzy has expressed his grief over the damage caused by the heavy rainfall.

The Daily Mirror quoted Osbourne as saying, “It’s been completely flooded.”

“The rain has battered down the walls and seeped through everything. There is water everywhere.”

“We’ve been told it’s going to cost £300,000 to repair but we can’t even go about getting it fixed because apparently it’s going to take nine months to dry out. The place is ruined. If it’s not one thing, it’s the other.”

The UK has reportedly experienced the wettest winter since record began in 1910.

UK denies deciding against trade sanctions on Russia

LONDON: Britain insisted on Tuesday that it was keeping an open mind on how to respond to Russian aggression against Ukraine, after the emergence of an apparently official document suggesting London opposed trade sanctions.
Foreign Secretary William Hague said that "all options remain on the table on the diplomatic and economic side" but said Britain would not make any announcements until European Union leaders meet to discuss the crisis on Thursday.
He acknowledged the "regrettable" security breach that resulted in a press photographer snapping an official document being carried into a meeting at Prime Minister David Cameron's Downing Street office on Monday.
It appeared to be a briefing note and recommended that "the UK should not support for now trade sanctions... or close London's financial centre to Russians".
London is an increasingly popular destination for wealthy Russians and the banks and trading houses of the City financial district attract substantial amounts of Russian capital.
Updating the House of Commons after his visit to Kiev on Monday, Hague rejected claims the photo blunder risked Britain's leverage during intense diplomatic negotiations.
"Anything that is written in one document being carried by one official is not necessarily any guide to the decisions that will be made by Her Majesty's government," Hague said.
"Our options remain very much open on this subject."
Putting aside the issue of sanctions, Hague noted that the reaction of the markets showed "there are major risks for Russia economically" in its actions across the border.
Russian stock markets crashed almost 10 percent and the ruble plunged to historic lows in value against the dollar and euro on Monday over concerns about the crisis.
"In the medium to long term, Russia needs the economic cooperation of European nations just as much or more as they need the cooperation of Russia," Hague said.
The minister has repeatedly warned of the "consequences and costs" of Russia's intervention in the ex-Soviet state but he and Cameron have yet to spell out what these might be.
EU foreign ministers warned Moscow on Monday to de-escalate or risk sanctions, including the suspension of long-running talks on easing EU visa requirements for Russian citizens.
Further "targeted measures" may also be considered, including visa bans or asset freezes against senior figures as well as suspending mutual accords, EU sources said.
Hague was cautious on individual asset freezes, saying: "Given our experience on sanctions being applied to several parts of the world in recent years, we have to be legally very sure of our case to apply sanctions on individuals."
He added: "The options are open but any measures we take must be well-judged and well-targeted and united in the European Union and the Western world more generally."
The rhetoric from the United States has been tougher, with Washington suspending military cooperation and promising movement on a broad range of sanctions later this week.

Miss India UK Deana Uppal gets inspired from Rohit Shetty

Entertainment News : Director Rohit Shetty, known for unique kind of action in his films who will be seen hosting the fifth season of reality TV show Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi the action- adventure show is an amalgamation of stunts and entertainment.

Rohit Shetty has mastered the art of pleasing the masses with his box office responses. As per the sources new B’town Bee Miss India UK Deana Uppal who is pleased with Director Rohit Shetty style of working in reality show Fear Factor:

Khatron Ke Khiladi she has got inspired by his films where she saw top action sequences like blowing up cars, flying of the goons with one heroic touch. Deana Uppal was in Big Brother and was the third finalist in the show and now she is in KKK. Deana has already signed two Bollywood films.

As sources to be believed Deana Uppal was heard speaking about The Hit Man of Bollywood Rohit Shetty, A man whose films are ostentatious, there’s certain understated about his personality.

He is very active and fearless the way he hosts the show. Deana finds herself very lucky by participating in the show to face fear of her life. Deana is really excited about the stunts and nervous too, as sources claimed. E Pakistan News