After 36 years, PFUJ factions agree on merger move

ISLAMABAD: The representatives of all the three factions of the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists have agreed to unite all the groups.

According to a press release, the decision was taken at a meeting of the Reunification Committee held here today. The committee consists of senior journalists IA Rahman, Hussain Naqi, M. Ziauddin, Nasir Zaidi, Khawar Naeem Hashmi and Idrees Bakhtiar. The representatives of the three factions, Afzal Butt, Pervaz Shaukat and Idrees Bakhtiar, signed a memorandum of understanding to unite the three factions. Rana Azeem and Amin Yusuf were also taken on board on phone.

The matter will be taken to the respective Federal Executive Council of the various factions for final approval by August 25. The Reunification Committee will again meet on Aug 30 to announce the final decision and suggest the future strategy of unification.

The meeting was also attended by senior journalists Farooq Faisal Khan, Khursheed Abbasi, Mazhar Abbas, Arshad Ansari, Shafiq Awan and Nisar Abbas, who also contributed their valued suggestion for resolving the disputes.

It is for the first time that after a long period of 36 years, the various factions of PFUJ sat together and resolved to unite the journalist organizations in the interests of working journalists and freedom of the Press.

PML-N blocked PPP move to let Musharraf go: minister

 

LAHORE: Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervaiz Rashid on Saturday said that the Pakistan People’s Party wanted to give indemnity to former president Pervez Musharraf but the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) blocked the move.
Talking to the media here, the minister said the PML N leadership never conceded to the PPP’s demand of indemnity to a former dictator and it had never been a part of any deal. “We have not greeted Musharraf in his medicine of violence like handcuffs and exile as he forced Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif to exile twice,” the minister said.

Pervaiz Rashid said lawlessness had been the rule in the dictatorial regimes while the law takes its due course in a democracy, adding the courts would decide the fate of Pervez Musharraf.

The information minister said that this year’s Independence Day will be marked by a central ceremony at the D Chowk to tell the world that the nation is united under one flag.

Only the national flag will flutter high on August 14 and all other flags would be at half mast as the entire political leadership will be invited to the national ceremony to mark solidarity unity and oneness, he said.

He said the whole nation would sing the national anthem together on August 14, adding that all would be free afterwards to follow their heart’s desire.

Regarding Imran Khan’s call for the August 14 D-Chowk rally, Pervaiz Rashid said Imran Khan should not send a message on Independence Day that the political leadership was divided at a time when the armed forces were busy in an operation in North Waziristan for the security of the country, and a message of unity must be sent to all.

Imran Khan should not weaken Pakistan’s bunkers within Pakistan as the politics of the street may lead to instability and be beneficial to the terrorists, Pervaiz Rashid stressed.

To a query, he said Arsalan Iftikhar was at daggers drawn with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan after the PTI chairman’s provocative speech against his father (former chief justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry) at Bahawalpur, adding that there is always an Arsalan Iftikhar for every Imran Khan in the world.

To a question, the information minister said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) was awarded one percent more funds under the NFC Award to the provinces for the war against terror, adding that it would get Rs22 billion extra under the NFC and this amount should be used by the KP government for food and shelter of the IDPs. He said the KP government should also account for Rs80 billion paid by the federal government under the NFC for the same purpose during the past four years.

About the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), the federal minister Pemra has written to all cable operators regarding the issue of placement of channels and it has to wait for 15 days for the implementation of its instructions as per the law.

To a query regarding consultation with politicians, the minister said the passage of Tahaffuz-e-Pakistan Bill was made possible through consultation with the all political parties and the government has no inhibition to contact any political party in the larger interest of the country, adding that the doors are always open for all political forces. To a question, he said the Pakistan Army had been playing its due rule for peace, adding that the armed forces and democratic institutions have been helping the affected people of North Waziristan.

He said the mischief makers against the armed forces will lick the dust, adding that the powers to the forces are in line with the Constitution of the country and all-out resources and legal umbrella will be provided to them.

Regarding the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) chief Tahirul Qadri, the minister said Dr Qadri was known for his political somersaults, adding that the PAT chief made a similar attempt against democracy last year as well. He said Tahirul Qadri had deserted his followers in the lap of pneumonia last year and flown to foreign lands on a cosy business class seat.

To a question, the minister said the duration of loadshedding will be cut to the minimum every year, adding that the power transmission lines could not bear the extra power load and the government has decided to set up a separate company to strengthen power transmission lines in the country. — Agencies

Our correspondent adds: Meanwhile, speaking at a discussion, held at the South Asian Free Media Association (Safma), PPP leader Qamar Zaman Kaira has disclosed that the issue of getting rid of Pervez Musharraf was raised by Mian Nawaz Sharif when Asif Ali Zardari had gone to his place to offer condolences over the death of his father.

Kaira said Zardari told Nawaz Sharif that getting rid of Musharraf was not possible as he enjoyed powers under 58-2b as well as the support of the military and various global powers. Zardari proposed amendments to 58-2b before proceeding with any such plan, said Kaira.

He said the PPP government had contacted all parties, the PML-N and Awami National Party (ANP), to discuss the issue. Every party was on the same page and they all gave their consent for letting Pervez Musharraf go so that the country could move forward on the democratic path. He said a political crisis and a tussle among the state institutions started when the PML-N government backtracked on its understanding over the issue.

About the Pakistan Protection Ordinance, Kaira expressed his reservations and said the law had all the ingredients that could be exploited for political victimisation. Such actions would drag the country back three decades and the progress made regarding the politics of negotiation and consensus would be lost.

He said the Pakistan Awami Tehreek leader Tahirul Qadri talks about bringing a revolution in the country and it is his right like any other Pakistani. However, he asked how he is going to bring about a revolution given he represents only one faction of the nation. He said it is difficult to assume that a majority of the people in the country identify themselves with his ideological premise.

IBM deepens move into computer defense

SAN FRANCISCO: IBM on Monday moved deeper into defending business computers with a new service aimed at thwarting hackers before they do damage.

"The need for security to become part of our strategy has been natural," IBM vice president of security strategy Marc van Zadelhoff told AFP.

The century-old business technology titan made a priority of defending computer networks about two years ago, unifying resources from more than a dozen security firms it acquired.

IBM's computer security unit has been "growing like gangbusters," according to van Zadelhoff.

According to industry tracker IDC, IBM significantly outpaced overall computer protection company market growth and last year was the third largest seller of cyber defense software.

IBM on Monday ramped up its offerings with a Threat Protection System and a Critical Data Protection Program.

Introduction of the new cyber security weapons came with the release of IBM-funded Ponemon Institute studies showing that the number of hacker attacks is climbing along with the cost.

The average cost of a hack to a business has risen 15 percent to $6.2 million including lost revenue and productivity, according to Ponemon findings released by IBM.

The Critical Data Protection program uses an array of techniques to safeguard the data equivalent of a company's "crown jewels," according to van Zadelhoff.

IBM has tapped into intelligence about threats and hacker tactics from computer networks it cares for around the world.

Defensive technics go beyond maintaining watch-lists for known malicious codes to identifying when applications in networks act unusually and then pouncing to see whether hacker mischief is the cause.

“Traditional methods of prevention have often failed, leaving many to believe detection is the only way forward," IBM security systems general manager Brendan Hannigan said in a release.

"You must be able to prevent exploitations of known and unknown vulnerabilities

Any move against voice of media to be resisted

 

LAHORE: PFUJ President Rana Azeem said any move meant to silence the voice of the media would be resisted.
Speaking at an event organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists at a local hotel here on Sunday, he said as the elected president of the PFUJ, he would set up a four-member committee which would accelerate contacts with journalists throughout the country to get them united against any move against media freedom.

The senior journalist said the entire community held the armed forces and security agencies in great esteem, but, at the same time, demanded that the assailants of Hamid Mir be dealt with according to the law.

He said no curbs against any media groups including Geo, was acceptable to the journalists community of Pakistan. The event was also addressed by Abdul Hameed Chhaapra and Nasir Naqvi. Other senior journalists were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion senior Jamaat-e-Islami leader Ameerul Azim, rejecting curbs on Geo and said banning a TV channel is tantamount to restricting millions of people’s access to information.

Speaking at an event organised by the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists at a local hotel here on Sunday, he said access to information was the right of every citizen and no one could be deprived of it. He said once all journalists get united, no one could even think of banning any media group.

Facebook adds anonymous login, in move to build trust

SAN FRANCISCO: Facebook moved Wednesday to bolster the trust of its more than one billion users by providing new controls on how much information is shared on the world´s leading social network.

In a major shift away from the notion long preached by Facebook co-founder and chief Mark Zuckerberg of having a single known identity online, people will be able to use applications anonymously at Facebook.

The social network also provided a streamlined way for people to control which data applications can access and began letting people rein in what friends can do with shared posts at Facebook.

Zuckerberg announced the changes, along with moves to make Facebook a more stable platform for applications, at the social network´s sold-out f8 developers conference.

"By giving people more power and control, they are going to trust all the apps we build more and over time use them more," Zuckerberg told an audience of about 1,700 conference attendees.

"That is positive for everyone."In a statement Facebook explained its new "Anonymous Login" as an easy way for people to try an app without sharing personal information from Facebook..

"People tell us they´re sometimes worried about sharing information with apps and want more choice and control over what personal information apps receive," the company said. "Today´s announcements put power and control squarely in people´s hands."

- People are scared -

In coming weeks, Facebook will also roll out a redesigned dashboard to give users a simple way to manage or remove third-party applications linked to their profiles at the social network.

"This is really big from a user standpoint," JibJab chief executive Gregg Spiridellis said of what he heard during the keynote presentation that opened the one-day Facebook conference."I think they are seeing people are scared.

They realize that long-term, they need to be trusted."A JibJab application that can synch with Facebook lets people personalize digital greeting cards with images of themselves or friends.In a major move that promises to help application makers bring in more money and to further challenge Google for online marketing revenue, Facebook is expanding a test of putting its ad-targeting prowess to work for developers.

A Facebook Audience Network will what people share publicly about themselves and their interests to pinpoint marketing messages in third-party apps linked to Facebook on desktop computers or mobile devices.Better targeted ads promise to be more effective and, by extension, more attractive to marketers as well as app makers."These guys are so smart," Spiridellis said of the Facebook team. "Every publisher is going to switch to Audience."

- Hacker way -

Facebook revived its popular developers conference after a two-year hiatus and promised that the event will take place annually for the foreseeable future.Zuckerberg said the overarching themes at f8 were ways to help developers "build, grow, and monetize" applications that synch with Facebook.

While Zuckerberg still proudly endorses a "hacker way" of creatively bending software in innovative directions, he promised developers that the Facebook platform on which they rely will deliver "stability and consistency."

"My goal is building a culture of loving the people we serve that is as strong as hacking it," Zuckerberg said as he wound up his presentation on a personal note.He described being in a personally reflective period triggered by Facebook turning 10 years old in February and him marking his 30th birthday in just a few weeks.

It has also been 10 years since he first met his wife, Priscilla Chan, he added."It´s a time to reflect in life, family, philanthropy and what is important in the 10 years ahead," Zuckerberg said.

Will resist any move to topple govt: Fazl

ISLAMABAD: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman has stated that they would back the government and prevent it from topple if anyone tried do so, Geo News reported.

Talking to media here Thursday, Maulana Fazlur Rehman said they did not accept foreign agenda in Pakistan, adding that objectives could not be achieved through power.

He criticized the role of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), saying it should be accepted that the commission seemed totally helpless in the polls.

Fazl said it is the responsibility of the government to take the coalition partners into confidence over the issues.

Move to shut down Geo challenged in SHC

 

KARACHI: A division bench of the Sindh High Court, after hearing in detail a petition filed by the Independent Media Corporation (Pvt) Ltd. to challenge the arbitrary manner in which the federal government acting through ministries of interior and defence has complained to Pemra seeking cancellation of Geo News licence issued notices to both the federal government and Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) calling for their comments here on Wednesday.
In its detailed order, the division bench headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, issued notices to the federal government through the Ministry of Information and also to Pemra and has called for comments on Geo’s petition, fixing May 2 as the next date of hearing.

In its petition, the Jang Group had contended that all over the world, it is routine for victims’ families to express suspicions for the help of investigating agencies. In England, a non UK citizen Mohammad Al Fayed has been conducting more than a decade of court battles to prove that his son Dodi Al Fayed and Lady Diana were murdered by MI6 of the UK. On his request, various inquests have taken place and the media has routinely reported proceedings of the court. No one has questioned this allegation as damaging the respect of MI6.

In the petition, Geo Jang Group has contended that while on the one hand, the federal government got a judicial commission set up headed by Justice Anwer Zaheer Jamali to look into the allegations of Hamid Mir’s family, on the other hand, without waiting for the findings of the judicial commission, it has reportedly filed a complaint with Pemra to cancel the Geo News licence.

In the petition, Geo has contended that on April 19, April 20 and also on April 21, no official of Pemra or that of the Ministry of Defence, contacted them to express unhappiness over the transmission and then without any prior communication, all of a sudden, the minister of interior and minister of defence filed complaints with Pemra.

In the petition, it has also been contended that the haste and arbitrariness that has been shown by the federal government when filing the complaint, the petitioner expects no fair, transparent and impartial adjudication on merit by Pemra, which has to-date never decided against the government of the day.

It was also pointed out that despite the worst kind of defamation that was conducted against the superior judiciary of Pakistan, to-date Pemra has not cancelled a single broadcasting licence.

CPJ shows concerns over ISI move against Geo TV

NEW YORK: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is greatly concerned over actions brought by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Directorate against Geo Television.

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

The media regulator has the authority to shut down broadcasters based on such complaints, and has done so under previous administrations in Pakistan.

“We call on the Pemra not to act on this spurious complaint, and we call on Pakistan’s security services to recognise the critical role of the media and exercise tolerance and maturity,” said Bob Dietz, CPJ’s Asia programme coordinator. “The ISI is free to rebut allegations in the media but should not try to censor coverage.”

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

Sixth joint move of Nawaz and Zardari in six years

 

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and PPP Co-chairperson Asif Ali Zardari are committed to moving forward jointly for the sixth major success of the democratic system in the last six years.
Six months ago, Nawaz Sharif hosted a farewell for the outgoing president Asif Ali Zardari at the Prime Minister’s House. Zardari made a brief speech in the presence of the then military leadership and assured Nawaz Sharif that he will not play any dirty political games against the PML-N government for the next five years. He fulfilled his promise. He was standing behind PM Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday in Islamabad to assure his full support for the democratic system against any non-democratic adventure. No doubt, the government sources tried to downplay the tense relations between the civilian and non-civilian forces but Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan admitted this tension publicly a few days ago and it is not a secret why Zardari met Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday.

It was Zardari who announced on December 27, 2013 in Larkana that he would not allow the “billa” to run away from Pakistan. Powerful supporters of Musharraf disliked this statement and they conveyed their displeasure to Zardari through different channels but he never changed his position. At that time, many PPP leaders were expecting that the PML-N government would not dare start a treason trial of former president Pervez Musharraf. When Musharraf’s trial started, these PPP leaders suggested to Zardari that he should stay away from it but Zardari told them that Musharraf’s trial was a must for the rule of law and stability of the system. He told his party leaders that he would not leave Nawaz Sharif alone and in these difficult times all the major political forces must stand behind the democratic government. The Nawaz Sharif government started facing problems from some seen and unseen hands when Musharraf was summoned by the special court in the treason case. Zardari was not ready to play the role of a silent spectator. He called Nawaz Sharif many times and assured him of his support. He came to Rawalpindi and attended the proceedings of a NAB court. He gave a message that a former civilian president was ready to appear in a court but the former military dictator refused to do so. Finally, Musharraf was forced to appear in the special court.

Nawaz Sharif and Asif Ali Zardari are old political rivals but they resolved their personal differences in the Karachi jail after the 1999 military coup. Zardari met Nawaz Sharif in Saudi Arabia in 2005 and then in England in 2006. It was Zardari who tried to remove misunderstandings between the late Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif, which resulted in the signing of the Charter of Democracy in London. Nawaz and Zardari came closer after the assassination of Benazir Bhutto in 2007. Nawaz Sharif was not ready to contest the elections after the tragic death of Benazir Bhutto but Zardari convinced him to change his boycott decision. Nawaz Sharif could not contest the elections of 2008 but his party was able to make the government in the Punjab province while Zardari made governments at the Centre and in two provinces. It was their first success. Then Zardari forced Nawaz Sharif to join the federal government with the condition that his government will restore the judges deposed by the Musharraf regime. Both of them announced the impeachment of Musharraf in August 2008 and forced him to resign. It was their second joint success.

Zardari and Nawaz Sharif developed differences over the restoration of the deposed judges but things were settled after the restoration of judges in March 2009. They again collaborated with each other for the third time and made a huge breakthrough for democracy by introducing the 18th Amendment in the Constitution. Ishaq Dar and Raza Rabbani played a vital role in developing a consensus between the two parties. They not only removed the changes made by the Musharraf regime in the Constitution through the 17th Amendment, they also tried to minimise the threat of further military coups by incorporating some new clauses in the Article 6. According to a new clause (2A), introduced in Article 6, any act of treason shall not be validated by any court, including the Supreme Court of Pakistan.

Their fourth collaboration came out in the form of the Swat operation. The Punjab government helped the federal government and the KPK government in looking after the IDPs of Swat. Zardari was not happy with Nawaz Sharif when the latter exploited the Memogate scandal by filing a petition in the Supreme Court but Nawaz Sharif realised immediately that the memo was a trap. They resolved their differences once again.

They helped each other the fifth time when Dr. Qadri crippled Islamabad with a few thousand supporters in December 2012 and demanded to delay the elections. Nawaz Sharif invited important political leaders to Lahore and stood behind the Zardari regime. Now Zardari is standing behind Nawaz Sharif against some internal and external players putting pressure on the government to stop the trial of Musharraf.

Delegations of the PPP and the government discussed many issues on Wednesday afternoon but the real issue was discussed when Nawaz Sharif spent some time exclusively with Zardari. They agreed that there was a need for showing political unity for the rule of law without offending any particular institution. Close associates of both Nawaz Sharif and Zardari are concerned that some forces are trying to create misunderstandings between the army chief and the prime minister. They think that some important non-civilian functionaries are near retirement this year and these functionaries are playing a major role in putting pressure on the government in the name of Musharraf trial.

Their actual goal is to get some extension. Other sources say that the media is overestimating the situation. The prime minister is going to attend a passing out parade at the Pakistan Military Academy next week and all rumours will die soon. Nawaz Sharif and Zardari are committed to making history by not bowing down to those who want Musharraf to run away from Pakistan but certainly they have some differences. They differ with each other on some aspects of talks with the Taliban and the Protection of Pakistan Ordinance but both agreed to resolve the small differences as soon as possible for achieving some big political goals.

TTP commanders move to end infighting

PESHWAR: Taliban commanders have redoubled their efforts to bring about a lasting ceasefire between two rival factions of the outlawed Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in South Waziristan Agency (SWA), the BBC reported on Saturday.

Some sources claimed that the two warring factions had ceased fire; however, this couldn’t be verified independently.According to reports received from South Waziristan, TTP senior commanders on Saturday met Commander Khan Said alias Sajna and Commander Sheharyar separately and asked them to end the fighting.

Local sources said some JUI-F MNAs and senators were also using their good offices to ensure a ceasefire to prevent further loss of life on both sides.Meanwhile, talking to media representatives, TTP Commander Azam Tariq claimed that the two warring factions had ceased the fighting that had led to scores of deaths on both sides due to some misunderstanding.Tariq contested media reports about the number of fatalities.It was also reported that not a single skirmish had taken place in South Waziristan from dawn to dusk on Saturday.

Electrical device helps paralyzed men move legs

LONDON: Three years ago, doctors reported that zapping a paralyzed man's spinal cord with electricity allowed him to stand and move his legs. Now they've done the same with three other patients, suggesting their original success was no fluke.

Experts say it's a promising development but warn that the experimental treatment isn't a cure. When the implanted device is activated, the men can wiggle their toes, lift their legs and stand briefly. But they aren't able to walk and still use wheelchairs to get around.

"There is no miracle cure on the way," said Peter Ellaway, an emeritus professor of physiology at Imperial College London, who had no role in the study. "But this could certainly give paralyzed people more independence and it could still be a life-changer for them."

In a new study published Tuesday in the British journal Brain, researchers gave an update on Rob Summers, of Portland, Oregon, the first to try the treatment, and described successful results for all three of the other men who have tried it. All had been paralyzed from below the neck or chest for at least two years from a spinal cord injury.

The study's lead author, Claudia Angeli of the Kentucky Spinal Cord Research Center at the University of Louisville, said she believes the device's zapping of the spinal cord helps it to receive simple commands from the brain, through circuitry that some doctors had assumed was beyond repair after severe paralysis.

Dustin Shillcox, 29, of Green River, Wyoming, was seriously injured in a car crash in 2010. Last year, he had the electrical device surgically implanted in his lower back in Kentucky. Five days later, he wiggled his toes and moved one of his feet for the first time.

"It was very exciting and emotional," said Shillcox. "It brought me a lot of hope."

Shillcox now practices moving his legs for about an hour a day at home in addition to therapy sessions in the lab, sometimes wearing a Superman T-shirt for inspiration. He said it has given him more confidence and he feels more comfortable going out.

"The future is very exciting for people with spinal cord injuries," he said.

The study's other two participants - Kent Stephenson of Mount Pleasant, Texas and Andrew Meas of Louisville, Kentucky - have had similar results.

"I'm able to (make) these voluntary movements and it really changed my life," Stephenson said. He said the electrical device lets him ride on an off-road utility vehicle all day with his friends and get out of the wheelchair.

"I've seen some benefits of (the device) training even when it's turned off," he added. "There have been huge improvements in bowel, bladder and sexual function."

The new study was paid for by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation and others.

Experts said refining the use of electrical stimulators for people with paralysis might eventually prove more effective than standard approaches, including medicines and physical therapy.

"In the next five to 10 years, we may have one of the first therapies that can improve the quality of life for people with a spinal cord injury," said Gregoire Courtine, a paralysis expert at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, who was not part of the study.

Ellaway said it was unrealistic to think that paralyzed people would be able to walk after such treatment but it was feasible they might eventually be able to stand unaided or take a few steps.

"The next step will be to see how long this improvement persists or if they will need this implant for the rest of their lives," he said.

The National Institutes of Health is investing in more advanced stimulators that would better target the spinal cord as well as devices that might work on people who are paralyzed in their upper limbs.

Track-II experts call India, Pakistan to move swiftly on key issues

NEW DELHI: An India-Pakistan Track II diplomacy initiative onFriday sent out a message to Islamabad and New Delhi, pressing on the new Indian government which emerges in April elections, to continue the positive initiatives taken under previous governments.

“Islamabad and New Delhi must move forward on a menu of outstanding items in order to move the region out from the shadows of instability, human insecurity and lost opportunities in trade, energy, information connectivity,” said a joint resolution issued after the 4th Delhi Dialogue arranged by the Jinnah Institute and Centre for Dialogue and Reconstruction, which concluded in New Delhi on Friday.

The dialogue brought together journalists, policy experts, academics, advocates, former military officials and diplomats from India and Pakistan for two days of intense deliberations to discuss a wide range of outstanding issues between both countries.

The session on Afghanistan saw support for an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation process in Afghanistan and recognised that a peaceful Afghanistan is essential for regional stability.

It recommended that serious efforts be made towards exploring the possibility of Pakistan granting India overland transit rights for trade with Afghanistan and India granting overland transit rights to Pakistan for other South Asian countries.

Urging both countries not to let competing interests in Afghanistan negatively impact bilateral relations, it also urged the regional countries to initiate a dialogue on adopting a non-interventionist policy.

“We urge both countries to engage with each other to clarify each other’s apprehensions on a post-2014 Afghanistan. We recommend that opportunities for mutual cooperation in the development and reconstruction of Afghanistan be explored, especially under the aegis of Saarc,” said the resolution.

On Kashmir, the resolution agreed that the bilateral dialogue should be irreversible and uninterruptable and urged both India and

Pakistan to fully implement all agreed CBM’s cooperate on outstanding issues and address each other’s concern on key issues like “Kashmir as well as terrorism with the aim of resuming the stalled bilateral dialogue.”

Both governments were urged to urgently take up discussions on Jammu and Kashmir so that a solution that is acceptable to India,Pakistan and the people of Kashmir on both sides of the Line of Control can be found.

Of importance was a recommendation that Non-Discriminatory Market Access be granted by Pakistan to India at the earliest, urging India to remove all non-tariff barriers to facilitate trade between both countries.

A statement issued later by the Jinnah Institute said: “As South Asia and the wider region grapples with the menace of transnational conflict, a renewed vigor is required towards resuming the stalled bilateral dialogue between Pakistan and India participants agreed at the recently concluded Delhi Dialogue on Friday.”

Against the backdrop of the upcoming Indian elections, participants agreed that expected victory of a Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) could have a transformative effect on bilateral relations between both the countries.

Despite skepticism, participants unanimously hoped that the new government in New Delhi will build upon earlier initiatives taken under previous governments and expeditiously pursue the revival of the stalled dialogue process with Pakistan.

The Pakistani delegation impressed upon its Indian counterparts that unlike India, a cross-party consensus existed in Pakistan on improving relations with India and resolving all outstanding issues. They said that recent overtures of the Pakistan government presented an opportunity which must be reciprocated by India.

The participants also analyzed last year’s ceasefire violations and called on both Indian and Pakistani military establishments to regularise high level staff and field commander meetings to resolve any future untoward incidents on the LoC.

Noting that people-to-people contacts were essential in improving relations between the two nuclear armed neighbours, the dialogue participants recommended the extension of the one year multiple entry visa policy towards all category of travelers, particularly media-persons, artists, students and academics.

They urged both governments to ensure that the Wagah-Attari border is opened for 24 hour operations and both governments should explore opportunities for opening all economically feasible land routes between India and Pakistan for trade and travel, particularly Ganda Singhwala-Ferozpur, Muktasar-Fazilka and Khokhrapar-Munabao.

The Pakistan delegation comprised former ambassador Sherry Rehman, parliamentarian Shafqat Mahmood, former ambassador Aziz Ahmad Khan, former DG ISPR Lt Gen Athar Abbas, Syed Babar Ali, Arshad Zuberi, senior journalists Zahid Hussain, Mariana Baabar, Amir Mateen and Ammara Durrani.

The India delegation comprised former foreign secretary Salman Haider, former Ambassadors Jayant Prasad and Sharat Sabharwal, Dr Rajmohan Gandhi, Siddharth Vardarajan, Prem Shankar Jha, former Lt General Syed Ata Hasnain, Jyoti Malhotra, Suhasini Haidar, Gul Muhammad Wani, Sunil Sethi, and Syeda Hammeda.

China blocking Philippines’ vessels a provocative move: US

Concerned by reports that China has blocked two vessels of the Philippines in the South China Sea, the US on Wednesday described it as a provocative move that raised tensions.
“We are troubled by reports that China’s Coast Guard blocked efforts by two Filipino vessels to re-supply the Philippines’ outpost at Second Thomas Shoal. This is a provocative move that raises tensions,” State Department spokesperson Jen Psaki said.
“Pending resolution of competing claims in the South China Sea, there should be no interference with the efforts of claimants to maintain the status quo,” she said.
The Philippines has maintained a presence at Second Thomas Shoal since 1999, as other claimants have maintained a presence elsewhere in the South China Sea, she added.
“The regular resupply and rotation of personnel positioned in the South China Sea at locations that have existed since before the Declaration of Conduct in the South China Sea was issued by ASEAN and China in 2002 is consistent with maintenance of the status quo. Other claimants regularly resupply and repair their outposts without interference,” Psaki said.
“Freedom of navigation and overflight is a linchpin of security in the Pacific. Safe and unimpeded lawful commerce, freedom of navigation, stability, and respect for international law must be maintained,” said the spokesperson.