Interior minister approved action against Musharraf, court told

ISLAMABAD: Interior Secretary Shahid Khan on Wednesday told the Special Court trying former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for treason that the prime minister did not approve the complaint against Musharraf but the interior minister did.

A three-member bench of the court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab, heard the case. Defence counsel Barrister Farogh Naseem started cross examination of the interior secretary and the complainant Shahid Khan. The counsel asked the secretary who gave the approval to take action or lodge the complaint against Musharraf. He also questioned was the PM’s statement recorded in the case, was the Law and Justice Ministry consulted, and who drafted the complaint against Musharraf?

Shahid Khan said the interior minister approved action against Musharraf after receiving the investigation report from the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) in the case. However, the PM and federal cabinet did not give approval of action against the former president under Article-6, he added.

Shahid Khan said, “No statement of the prime minister was recorded in the case.” Before lodging the complaint against Musharraf, the Law Ministry was consulted several times in the light of the FIA investigation report and then the decision was taken to register the complaint under Article-6.

He said although several drafts were prepared to lodge the complaint against Musharraf but he himself drafted the final complaint.Farogh Naseem said the complaint was registered against Musharraf based on malicious intent. The special court adjourned the hearing till Thursday.

Politicians, media, military all committed mistakes, Senate told

 

ISLAMABAD: Information Secretary of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Senator Mushahidullah Khan on Friday cautioned in the Senate that “no channel will remain open if Geo was shut down”.
Speaking in the House on a motion moved by the opposition senators to discuss the latest political situation, the PML-N legislator also insisted that the media should forge unity in their ranks, or the freedom they had won by rendering sacrifices, would go back to those forces from whom it was won.

The senator acknowledged the struggle rendered by Geo and the Jang Group. “Those whose policies led to the martyrdom of thousands of military men, civilians and got the Lal Masjid attacked should not be punished but Geo should be shut down,” the senator caustically observed.

He said it was too much to display the image of the ISI chief and resort to the allegations and added the derogatory content about the Ahle Bait was also highly condemnable. He contended that all, including politicians, the media, intelligence agencies and military generals, made mistakes and referred to the Kargil war during which he claimed that 3,000 soldiers were martyred. “All commit mistakes but it does not mean that the one who made a mistake should be crushed,” he said.

Mushahidullah contended some institutions have had their own mechanism of accountability but it should be seen being implemented. “No one asked Musharraf till now about the Kargil debacle but Hamid Mir, who received six bullets in his body, is being ridiculed,” he maintained.

The PML-N lawmaker said that whatever today was happening was being done by the supporters of Musharraf, who might be in the media, or living in Canada, Bani Gala or Lal Haveli. “When all targetted Geo, the leader of a political party Bahadur Khan also stepped in,” he noted.

Later, winding up the debate, Minister for States and Frontier Regions Lt Gen (R) Abdul Qadir Baloch alleged that Musharraf and his supporters and politically immature persons wanted to sneak into power corridors.

The minister was confident that the government was in a position to resolve the media issue immediately but would wait since it was sub-judice. He claimed those on the look to see packing up of the democratic set-up would be disappointed soon.

He assured the House that the issue would not be dragged for long and said the government, masses and the armed forces were fully aware of the challenges and the events that had recently taken place in India, Afghanistan.

PML-Q Senator Rubina Irfan, earlier, said the attack on Hamid Mir was condemnable and presenting on TV the head of top spy agency for eight hours was even more condemnable. PPP’s Senator Sardar Ali Khan said that the statement of finance minister to reduce taxes if the Ministry of Defence cuts the defence budget was uncalled for and provocative.

He alleged the government was following policy of confrontation with the State institutions. He asked the government to move for a patch-up and reconciliation vis-a-vis the media crisis. The bill to amend the National Judicial (Policy Making) Committee was unanimously passed. It would allow Islamabad High Court chief justice to also be a part of the Judicial Commission. Similarly, the House also adopted a bill to repeal the Federal Court Act, 1937.

Only Musharraf proclaimed emergency, special court told

 

ISLAMABAD: The prosecution in the high treason case on Wednesday told the Special Court that former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in his personal capacity proclaimed the emergency rule on Nov 3, 2007 as no record pertaining to summary or advice was available at the Prime Minister’s House proving that former prime minister Shaukat Aziz had advised the president in this regard.
A three-member Special Court, headed by Justice Faisal Arab and comprising Justice Tahira Safdar and Justice Yawar Ali, resumed hearing into the Federation’s appeal for initiating the treason trial against the former military dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf for subverting the Constitution on Nov 3, 2007.

Prosecutor Muhammad Akram Sheikh submitted his written reply on the defence application, seeking the trial of all the abettors under the treason charges and a copy of the investigation report conducted by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA).

He contended that so far in the investigation conducted in the instant case, it was found that the accused Pervez Musharraf issued the order of emergency rule in his personal capacity, adding that it was the responsibility of the accused to provide evidence against the other officials mentioned in the order of emergency rule.

The learned prosecutor further submitted that the incumbent government was unaware of the advisers of the accused at the time of issuing the proclamation of emergency rule, adding that the accused could better tell the court as to who were his advisers.

Justice Faisal Arab asked the prosecutor if the accused wanted to have a glimpse of the investigation report conducted by the FIA for his defence, adding as to why the accused should be deprived of this right.

“Whether was it not necessary to provide the investigation report to the court and the accused as well?” Justice Faisal Arab further asked Akram Sheikh.Akram Sheikh replied that the court could summon the report but it could not be provided to the accused. He said that the accused could only seek a statement when produced as evidence against him.

The learned prosecutor submitted that the Ministry of Interior was a part of the government and, according to the Constitution; the interior secretary was the competent authority to file a complaint in the treason case. He further contended that under articles 9, 10 and 19, it was the responsibility of the state to initiate the trial against a person for violation of the Constitution.

He submitted that in the treason case, a person would be tried against whom solid evidence was found adding that everything was based on solid evidence. The learned prosecutor told the court that the accused could file an application with interior secretary telling the names of abettors and requesting for taking action against them and placing their names in the list of the accused.

He further said that the defence counsel had asked for the statement of one of the members of FIA team and the said member would also be produced as evidence, hence in such a situation, a copy of the investigation report could not be provided yet.

He pleaded that defence applications seeking the trial of the abettors in the matter was aimed at diverting the attention of the court from the instant case, hence it should be dismissed.Meanwhile, Farogh Naseem, counsel for Pervez Musharraf, sought time till April 24 saying that he had not yet read all the material regarding the case while some books on international laws were lying in his office in Karachi. Similarly, he said that as he got the reply of the prosecution late, hence he could not made preparation for his arguments.

At this, the court accepted his plea and adjourned the hearing till April 24, ruling that the hearing would be held on daily basis from April 24.The court will also announce on April 18 (tomorrow) verdict on the defence application challenging the appointment of Akram Sheikh as prosecutor in the treason case.

Govt ready to bring Musharraf’s mother back: NA told

 

ISLAMABAD: All political parties in the National Assembly, except the Muttahida Qaumi Movement, on Monday backed the special court for indicting the former dictator General (retd) Pervez Musharraf in the high treason case and rejecting his plea to go abroad for treatment. They described it as a golden day in the democratic history of the country and proof of the supremacy of law.
Seasoned parliamentarian Mehmood Khan Achackzai was more vocal in hailing the decision of the special court saying symbolic punishment would suffice even if Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif personally forgives him. “If anyone wants to pardon him, then punishment should come first,” he said while speaking on a point of order.

Defence Minister Khawaja Asif assured the National Assembly that the government would fully implement the decision of the judiciary in this regard.But, at the same time, he offered that the government was ready to bring Pervez Musharraf’s ailing mother to Pakistan from the UAE. “We can bring Musharraf’s mother back to Pakistan by an air ambulance. We will have to pay a heavy price if we start showing leniency to criminals,” he said.

Khawaja Asif said this was a defining moment in the history of the country as the judiciary had given a historic decision by charging a person who had abrogated the Constitution. “It has been proved that there will only be the supremacy of law in the country,” he said and added that after today’s decision, they had achieved another milestone in democracy.

The defence minister was of the opinion that those who voted in favour of the emergency rule would also be taken to task. “The judiciary has turned our dream into a reality on the rule of law,” he added.

He said that there was no pressure on the government in this matter.He said Pervez Musharraf dragged the country into a war that cost the lives of 50,000 Pakistanis. He also handed over his countrymen to the United States and surrendered the sovereignty of the country. “Now we have taken initiatives to end that war, which is costing us billions of dollars every year.”

The minister claimed the government and the military were on the same page in respect of all national issues and all institutions would forge ahead in unison for progress and peace in the country.

He endorsed Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s view that if the Constitution was abrogated again, the country would suffer an irreparable loss.Khawaja Asif said equality before the law was the basic ingredient of the rule of law and nobody could be treated discriminately before the law.

He said it was unfortunate that even those people managed to get elected to parliament who had supported the dictators. “But, today there is an independent judiciary in the country, peaceful transfer of power from one government to the other has taken place and the provinces have been given autonomy through the 18th Amendment.”

He said over the past decade, the thinking of the army had also changed and it had not intervened in politics.Khawaja Asif said today citizens of the country were mature and they would not tolerate any hindrance in the path of democracy and those who had abrogated the Constitution would be held accountable.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Pervez Rashid said the government had followed the path of supremacy of the Constitution, democracy, free media and an independent judiciary. He said the government was ready to provide all facilities for the treatment of Pervez Musharraf’s mother and was ready to provide an air ambulance to bring her to Pakistan for treatment.

He said the chief minister Punjab had constituted a committee headed by Inspector General Police, Punjab, to investigate the issue of threat to chairman Pakistan People’s Party, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

About the attack on journalist Raza Roomi in Lahore, the minister said that the government was taking all-out measures for the protection of journalists and those involved in this attack will not be spared at any cost.

Earlier, speaking on the issue, seasoned parliamentarian Mehmood Khan Achakzai said that the decision of the court should be backed by parliament and even if the prime minister wanted to pardon anyone, then the punishment should come first. “The time has come that every organ of the state must submit before parliament.”

He said the Pakistan Army was our own army and everyone loved it. He urged some TV anchors to avoid making a joke of parliament and politicians.Later, PPP parliamentarian Abdul Sattar Bachani proposed that the there should be an amendment in the Constitution according to which anyone who supports a dictator should be disqualified forever.

Minister for Railways Khawaja Saad Rafiq said it was a golden day in the history of Pakistan. He accused some anchors and parties of supporting Musharraf who had thrown out an elected government, dissolved parliament, subverted the Constitution twice, assassinated Bugti and pushed the country into war.

He said Turkey had experienced such a day when the generals were made accountable and now Pakistan had adopted the same path.Speaking on the issue, MQM legislator Asif Hussaini said the trial should be started from 1971 and all those who had subverted the Constitution should also be tried for treason.Parliamentary Leader of the Jamaat-e-Islami Shaibzada Tariqullah also welcomed Musharraf’s indictment in the treason case.

Pak-Iran gas pipeline project can’t be completed, NA told

 

ISLAMABAD: Petroleum Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi has told the National Assembly that the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project cannot be completed due to international sanctions on Iran.
He said this while replying to a question from MNA Shazia Marri during the Question-Hour here on Friday. No further implementation of the Pak-Iran gas pipeline project is in progress as international sanctions stand slapped on Iran, said the minister.

He said even if the project was accomplished, Pakistan could not acquire gas till the sanctions were scaled back. The previous government had also not implemented this project, he said. He told the House that work on the LNG terminal had started. The terminal will become functional by November 25 this year. No talks have been held with Qatar on the pricing formula so far, he added.

To another question, he said the price of petroleum products will be worked out for importing the LNG. Replying to a question from Naeema Kishwar Khan, Parliamentary Secretary Raja Javed Ikhlas told the House that selling of arms to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) was not under consideration. No license for establishment of any ordnance factory in the KPK had been issued to anyone except Wah Factory.

Parliamentary Secretary Shahzadi Omarzadi told the House that she expected the import of LNG would start by the end of this year. Talks are continuing with Qatar for importing LNG, she added.

Parliamentary Secretary Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal told the House that the Supreme Court had given five months for conducting the Local Bodies (LB) polls and these elections will be held within this stipulated period.

State Minister Sheikh Aftab Ahmad said the SC had ordered during the previous general elections that the right to vote be given to overseas Pakistanis. He added that a bill in this regard was under debate in the Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice and further progress will be made in line with the committee’s report. The Election Commission of Pakistan and Pakistani embassies functioning in other countries have also been informed in this regard, he said. The government wants that the overseas Pakistanis are given the right to vote in 2018, he added.