TTP split a major dividend of talks policy

ISLAMABAD: The parting of ways by the Khan Said alias Sajna faction of the Mehsud militants with the TTP is considered as one of the major dividends of the government’s dialogue policy, which right from the beginning created a rift between the pro-talks and anti-talks militants.

Sajna was one of those leading Taliban commanders who even last year had conveyed to Ulema, involved in the first round of the talks process that ended with the killing of Hakimullah Mehsud by a US drone, his willingness to engage for peaceful settlement of the issue.

The Sajna-led Mehsud militants have enormous influence in South Waziristan and now there are growing chances of a possible agreement between the government and the Sajna group. In South Waziristan, the military already has an agreement with the Mullah Nazir Group — known as “good Taliban”. In such a scenario, South Waziristan would become peaceful.

Sources engaged in the dialogue process during the last several months hope that the North Waziristan-based Hafiz Gul Bahadar group could play an important role in getting a peace deal signed between the government and the Sajna group. Like the Mullah Nazir group in South Waziristan, the military already has a peace agreement with Hafiz Gul Bahadar group in North Waziristan. The Gul Bahadar group is also bracketed in the category of ‘good Taliban’.

Government sources are excited at the move of Sajna-led Mehsud militants. They insist that they would talk to all those who want to talk to attain the objective of peace. These sources said there are some other Taliban factions, who are also in contact with the government for a dialogue.

Former Taliban spokesman Azam Tariq had announced on Wednesday the Mehsud militants’ decision to part ways with the TTP. “It is unfortunate that the leadership of the Pakistani Taliban has fallen into the hands of naive persons and conspirators bringing a bad name to the Jihadi organisations in the world,” Azam Tariq was quoted as saying by the media.

“After days of thinking and discussions, we finally decided to abandon Mullah Fazlullah and the people around him. The majority of members of our Taliban network have been involved in un-Islamic activities. They are engaged in the killing of innocent people, kidnapping for ransom and extortions which had never been the objectives of our slain leader Baitullah Mehsud,” said Azam Tariq, a former schoolteacher.

Azam Tariq had said his new group will operate under the banner of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan-South Waziristan Agency (TTP-SWA), and added that Khalid Mehsud, whose real name is Khan Said alias Sajna, would lead the new faction of the Mehsud Taliban.

The government-Taliban dialogue process was facing suspension during the last several weeks because of the infighting within the TTP, which led to the most serious setback to the Taliban unity since the TTP’s creation.It is said that Mullah Fazlullah, who is presently leading the TTP, is not acceptable to military authorities for his “crimes” whereas not much opposition is there for Sajna, who has been a known supporter of the talks process.

Even on Wednesday, Azam Tariq told the media: “We wanted to find out a peaceful solution to the conflict and favoured the peace talks with the government. However, those Pakistani Taliban sitting in Afghanistan and running the group from across the border opposed the talks.”

This situation is encouraging for those who have been supporting the dialogue process. While there were many who always disapproved the talks process, it was a foreseen conclusion that the dialogue process would divide the Taliban while the military operation would unite them.

PPP demands resignation from Abidi over party policy violation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has demanded Faisal Raza Abidi to tender resignation from his senate membership over violation of party policy, Geo News reported.

According to a communiqué issued here Wednesday, PPP General Secretary Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, on the directives of party leadership, demanded resignation from Abidi.

Abidi had violated party policy, therefore, the PPP leadership has demanded him to resign as senator.

PPP demands resignation from Abidi over party policy violation

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has demanded Faisal Raza Abidi to tender resignation from his senate membership over violation of party policy, Geo News reported.

According to a communiqué issued here Wednesday, PPP General Secretary Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, on the directives of party leadership, demanded resignation from Abidi.

Abidi had violated party policy, therefore, the PPP leadership has demanded him to resign as senator.

Haj policy announced

ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has okayed the Haj Policy 2014 according to which 1,43,368 Pakistanis would perform Haj.

Announcing the Haj policy, the Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yousaf told a press conference that the scheduled banks would start receiving Haj applications under the government’s regular scheme from April 21. Under the government’s scheme, a total of 56,600 Pakistanis would be able to perform Haj.

Federal Secretary Ministry of Religious Affairs Qamar Ismail and other officials of the ministry were also present on the occasion.There would be no balloting and the applications of intending pilgrims would be entertained on first come first serve basis.

The minister told newsmen there would be reduction of Rs23,000 and Rs33,000 in Haj expenses for people who perform Haj from northern and southern parts respectively of the country.

The Haj expenses for intending pilgrims from these two parts of the country would be Rs2,72,231 and Rs2,62,231 respectively.The payment of expenses of Rs14,500 in respect of sacrificial animals would be optional. The Haj expenses include Rs1,7,700 and Rs97,000 as Haj fare of airlines.

Sardar Yousaf said that reduction in Haj expenses and air fare has been possible with the involvement of the Prime Minister House.He said that training workshops would be organized for intending pilgrims all over country and there would be Islamic dress code (Abaya) for women.The Haj flight operation would start from first of holy month of Zeeqad and half the pilgrims from the regular Haj scheme would reach Madina and half of them would arrive in Jeddah.

Pakistan’s Syria policy neutral, claims Sartaj

 

LONDON: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz has said Pakistan wants to strike a balance between Saudi Arabia and Iran to ease tensions between the two countries.
In an interview with BBC’s Urdu Service, Sartaj said Pakistan was following a neutral policy on Syria in line with UN resolutions. He said that sectarian divisions were very harmful for the Islamic world. In reply to a question, the adviser said the $1.5 billion aid provided by Saudi Arabia was direly needed by the country.

He said Pakistan had released Afghan Taliban to take forward the reconciliation process in Afghanistan. Pakistan wanted the Afghan Taliban to take part in the election process and join the mainstream, but they are no more in our control. He regretted that soon after the start of the election campaign in Afghanistan, negative statements had been increased against Pakistan by Afghan leaders.

Sartaj said no request had been made for getting additional US arms and ammunition in Afghanistan and if Pakistan would need them, it would be acquired from other US bases in other parts of the world.

The adviser said without resolving the issues with the neighbouring country, the Pakistan military had reservations over friendship and trade with India. He said the environment will have to be improved to resolve the Kashmir issue.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif will visit Iran in May or June to discuss bilateral relations and world issues. When he was asked if Pakistan was sending arms to Syria, he said there was no specific agreement about Syria in the present circumstances.

He said Islamabad was making efforts to sell small arms and fighter aircraft to Saudi Arabia. He said it was strange that objections were being raised about it, though all world nations wanted to sell their weapons to other countries. He said there was no difficulty for Saudi Arabia to purchase weapons from any other country. There was no need for creating any doubts on the issue, he added.

He said the Pakistan-Iran gas pipeline project was intact, but due to sanctions the time limit for its implementation would have to be reset.

Anil Kapoor trained Sonam Kapoor to follow 'just friends' policy

Bollywood's style icon Sonam Kapoor is single, and she would like to maintain that relationship status publicly until she makes a final decision about a person in her life. Besides, her father Anil Kapoor has "trained" her to say "just friends" when anyone asks her if she's dating someone or not.

The father-daughter duo came together for a tete-a-tete with filmmaker Karan Johar on his celebrity chat show "Koffee With Karan".

Karan asked the "I Hate Luv Storys" actress - "Currently apparently there is some boyfriend...is that not true?"

She retorted: "No boyfriends! I am very single."

Karan immediately turned to her celebrity father to ask: "She has no boyfriends?"

Anil smartly said: "She has friends...that I have trained her...kuch bhi ho bolo friends (whatever it is, say friends)! Just friends.

A startled Karan then asked for a reassurance: "This is your training?"

"Yeah my training," said the doting father.

However, Sonam, who was earlier reportedly in a relationship with "I Hate Luv Storys" director Punit Malhotra, clarified her stance.

She said: "Honestly, I don't feel it, like till I don't decide I want to be with someone for the rest of my life, I don't want to talk about it, I don't want to commit anything to media anything because eventually 10 years down the line when I have kids I don't want them to look back in the papers...because what is in the paper never goes away."

The episode of "Koffee With Karan" featuring Sonam and Anil will be aired on the show Sunday.

Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/anil-kapoor-sonam-kapoor-kofee-with-karan/1/351654.html

Foreign Policy statement

Advisor to the Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs Sartaj Aziz while winding up the debate on a motion in the National Assembly stated that the government's foreign policy is based on non-interference, strengthening trade relations, promoting trade not aid and reflecting the country's internal situation. Few can fault the four tenets laid down by Sartaj Aziz however many may challenge the government's implementation record.

Pakistan is at a critical juncture in its history with serious law and order problems that have regional and international implications with the government's hands in taking bold decisions tied, to a considerable extent, to the country's rising dependence on international loans to forestall the real possibility of default. In this context it is relevant to note that the budget for the current fiscal year envisages 467.4 billion rupees of external loans in contrast to 274 billion rupees budgeted last year with only 214 billion rupees realised. Irrespective of whether or not this amount would be realised the fact remains that our dependence on external loans was envisaged as nearly doubling in comparison to last year. Our major creditor nations engaged in Afghanistan under the Nato umbrella have been compelling us to take actions since 9/11 - some of which are difficult to justify from our security perspective. Such actions, nonetheless, have relevance when seen in our economic context. Thus Sartaj was astute and credible when he claimed that the government is promoting trade not aid on the one hand and, what is regarded by critics as a contradiction, maintaining that the policy also reflects the country's internal situation on the other hand.

The major policy decisions taken by the incumbent government with respect to promoting trade have been evident in two instances namely the grant of GSP plus status by the European Union and granting the Most Favoured Nation (MFN) status to India. The former, it maybe recalled, was an offer made by the EU as a form of assistance to the PPP-led coalition government in dealing with the massive destruction during the 2010 floods. The delay was initially due to some countries challenging the offer - countries that would have been negatively impacted in their trade with the EU; and later the failure of our government to implement some of the conventions that were a prerequisite for the package. There is no doubt that the incumbent Governor Punjab facilitated the implementation of the GSP Plus status by mobilising his European contacts in our favour; however, there are concerns that the government would have to show improved implementation of these conventions to ensure that the package duration is as long as agreed, or in effect, the government must begin to deal with the insurgency in Balochistan and improve implementation of human rights laws.

The Prime Minister is openly supportive of granting MFN status to India, as was President Zardari during his tenure; however, there are certain sectors that have expressed extreme reservations against it on the ground that the Indian government not only subsidises their sector that would render them uncompetitive even in our local markets but India continues to impose non-tariff barriers some of which are Pakistan-specific. Reportedly the country's establishment has also expressed some concerns and in this context it is relevant to note that the US has been supporting the grant of MFN status to India as well as insisting that Pakistan opens a land route for trade between India and Afghanistan.

Sartaj also stated that the Iran-Pakistan (IP) gas pipeline is still on a priority list but added that the project will be pursued after relaxation of US sanctions. It is unfortunate that the PPP lawmakers are trying to make political capital out of the IP agreement signed during the last week their party was in power as a reflection of their capacity to withstand US pressure. Why did not the PPP government sign that agreement before to ensure its implementation is a query for which the party would have no plausible answer.

The Advisor further revealed that the foreign policy is under preparation and all stakeholders will be taken into confidence. This inclusive approach was also made apparent in the recently tabled National Security Policy and one would hope that given the fact that Pakistan is grappling on so many fronts the Opposition would play a constructive role in strengthening its hands. Be that as it may, the security policy and foreign policy are the domain of the government in power and the PML-N has sufficient numbers to ensure their passage with ease.

Pakistan following policy of non-interference in others’ affairs: Sartaj Aziz

ISLAMABAD: Adviser to Prime Minister on Foreign Affairs and National Security Sartaj Aziz has said that Pakistan is following the policy of non-interference in the affairs of other countries.

Talking to Radio Pakistan, he said Pakistan had no favourites in Afghanistan and relations with it were improving.

"We have to promote trade with other countries to achieve economic prosperity and reduce dependence on others. This is why Pakistan has adopted the policy of `trade, not aid'," he said.

He said to achieve all these objectives, the government was reviewing policies and making them more effective.

Akram Zaki, former Secretary General Ministry of Foreign Affairs, talking to Radio Pakistan, said without internal stability, a country could not make a strong foreign policy.

Former Foreign Secretary Najam-ud-Din Sheikh said, "Pakistan can attract huge foreign investment by improving internal situation."

Talking about Pakistan's foreign policy, Shahid Amin, a former ambassador, highlighted the importance of Pakistan's relations with Saudi Arabia as nearly 1.5 million Pakistanis were working in the Kingdom.

Khalid Saleem, former Assistant Secretary General OIC, said Pakistan had always tried to adopt a foreign policy, safeguarding its national interests.

"Pakistan is located in a region where foreign powers have their interests. Our geo-strategic location also affects our foreign policy," he added.