Crude prices ease in Asia

SINGAPORE: Oil prices eased in Asian trade Monday as traders booked profits after strong gains last week on positive US economic data and the tensions in Ukraine.

New York´s West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for May delivery eased 24 cents to $101.43 a barrel in late-morning trade and Brent North Sea crude for May dipped 22 cents to $107.85.

Turkey PM claims victory, warns rivals ´will pay price

ANKARA: Turkey´s Premier Recep Tayyip Erdogan claimed victory for his Islamic-rooted party in Sunday´s key local elections and warned his foes they will "pay the price" for plotting his downfall.

"Those who attacked Turkey got disappointed," Erdogan told a jubilant crowd of thousands, speaking from the balcony of his party´s Ankara headquarters after months of turmoil marked by street clashes, sleaze claims and an Internet clampdown.

"You have supported your prime minister. I thank you infinitely," Erdogan told the crowd, his voice still hoarse from marathon campaigning for the municipal polls that were seen as a referendum on his 11-year rule.

Erdogan, 60, has been eyeing a run for the presidency in August -- the first time voters will directly elect the head of state -- and his midnight victory speech sounded at times like the start of his next campaign.

"You have protected the independence struggle of the new Turkey," the man often called "the sultan" told his flag-waving followers, interrupted by chants of "Turkey is proud of you", "Stand tall, don´t bow" and "God is great".

With 95 percent of all ballots counted, Erdogan´s Justice and Development Party (AKP) emerged well ahead of its rivals on 45 percent of the vote, with the opposition Republican People´s Party (CHP) on 28.5 percent. The AKP looked headed for strong victories nationwide, including in the biggest city Istanbul and the capital Ankara, over the secular opposition.

But in Ankara the main opposition, the centre-left CHP, said the vote was close. A definitive result in the capital awaited vote recounts, which were under way in some districts.

Erdogan again threatened to pursue his declared nemesis Fethullah Gulen, a reclusive Muslim cleric whom he accuses of running a parallel "deep state" undermining his government from faraway rural Pennsylvania.

Erdogan has accused loyalists of the 73-year-old imam in the police and justice systems of damaging leaks on Twitter and of bugging secret security talks on Syria before then releasing the explosive audio recording on YouTube.

"We will enter their caves and ... they will pay the price," he warned. "How can you threaten our national security on Syria? Syria is currently in a state of war against us." "There won´t be a state within a state," he stressed.

Months of political turmoil -- fought out in fierce street clashes and the Internet leaks -- have left Turkey deeply polarised between Erdogan´s Muslim conservative supporters and a secular political camp. Erdogan´s inner circle has been hit by the damaging online leaks since December, with wide-ranging bribery and sleaze claims against the prime minister and his political and business allies going viral in the youthful country.

The spiralling crisis has sent down the Turkish lira and stock market in recent months and rattled investors´ faith in a Muslim democracy that has often been described as a model for post-Arab Spring countries.

The premier´s heavy-handed response to being challenged on the streets and online has included a police crackdown on protesters in Istanbul that left eight dead and thousands wounded and arrested, and blocks on Twitter and YouTube.

The crackdown has alienated NATO allies and detracted from Erdogan´s much lauded record of driving an economic boom and transforming the country into an emerging global player."Our democracy must be strengthened and cleansed," said Kemal Kilicdaroglu, leader of the opposition CHP, as he cast his vote Sunday.

Despite a round of reprimands from foreign powers and human rights groups, the "results show us that Erdogan has survived these scandals with very little damage," Mehmet Akif Okur of Ankara´s Gazi University told AFP. "Voters believe that if Erdogan falls, they will fall with him. No matter how serious the corruption allegations are, the voters supported Erdogan to keep the status they have acquired under his rule," he added."

Seeing that his ´authoritarian´ measures have not hurt him at the ballot box, Erdogan will be more ambitious in pushing through tougher policies. I would expect lawsuits against the Gulen movement and arrests in the coming days. "Away from the national issues, local rivalries that regularly flare up at elections in Turkey left at least nine people dead Sunday.

Sana claims Rehman Malik penned threat letter to Bilawal

LAHORE: Punjab Law Minister, Rana Sanaullah made a startling claim on Sunday, saying former interior minister Rehman Malik authored the letter containing threats to Pakistan People’s Party Patron-in-Chief, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

Rana Sana was replying to a question while talking to media persons after laying a foundation stone for Thalassemia Center here.

“The initial investigation has revealed that the threat letter was penned by Rehman Malik,” he claimed.

He said Rehman Malik had been making moves in the previous five years win an aim to cause damage to the Punjab Government.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari had claimed in a Twitter message on Thursday that he had received ‘a threat letter’ from the proscribed Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ).

The Punjab Law Minister assured that fool-proof security would be provided to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari if he undertook a visit to Punjab province.

On the ongoing peace process between the government and Taliban militants, he said the TTP appeared serious and hoped that the ceasefire would be extended.

Musharraf’s counsels decide to boycott special court

ISLAMABAD: A team of counsels defending the former military ruler General (reted) Pervez Musharraf in treason case have decided to boycott the proceedings of the special court.

According to the sources, the decision was taken as Justice Faisal Arab would continue to hear the treason case.

The sources said Musharraf counsels are of the view that Justice Faisal Arab had decided to dissociate himself from the hearing.

The counsels claimed that Justice Faisal Arab’s remarks against Anwar Mansoor are unnecessary and against the facts, the sources added.

Musharraf’s mother in critical condition: sources

DUBAI: Former president General (retd) Pervez Musharraf’s mother is admitted to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in a Sharjah hospital, where sources said that her condition is critical.

Doctors said that her treatment would continue in the ICU, the sources said.

 

Musharraf leaves AFIC for special court

ISLAMABAD: Former president Pervez Musharraf has at last left the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiolgy (AFIC)for appearance in the special court as against the earlier report that his BP suddenly shot up, shifted to the ICU and there was 50/50 chance of his appearance in the court, Geo News reported Monday morning.

Treason case: Farogh Naseem appears on behalf of Musharraf today

ISLAMABAD: Barrister Farogh Naseem has been appointed as the new counsel of the former president Pervez Musharraf being tried by the special court in treason case on Monday here, Geo News reported.

Sources said that the team of Pervez Musharraf’s counsels having taken the stand that they do not recognize this special court as it was dissolved after Justice Faisal Arab had declined to further hear this case during the previous hearing, Barrister Farogh Naseem hurriedly filed his power of attorney to represent Pervez Musharraf today.

Meanwhile, reports reaching here said that All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) leader and a member of Pervez Musharraf’s team of counsels, Ahmad Raza Kasuri has been stopped from entering the premises of the court by the security men on the pretext that as the hearing has already started, no one would be allowed to enter the court premises for security reasons until the proceeding continues.

Shifting of machinery to Dassu Dam site begins

MANSEHRA: The Wapda has started shifting heavy machinery to site of Dassu dam after local people showed flexibility and allowed work on the project.

Ihsanul Haq, the president of Kohistan traders’ union, told reporters on Sundaythat the people of Kohistan were happy with the approval of the funds for the Dassu dam. However, he asked the government to first meet their 18-point charter of demands.

Work on the dam was stopped by local people last month as they sought proper compensation for their land.However, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec), in its meeting held in Islamabad on March 28, approved Rs486 billion for first phase of 4320MW Dassu hydropower project.

Ihsanul Haq, who had also served as nazim of Thooti union council, said people were pleased with sanction of money by Ecnec for the project and would not create hurdles in its smooth execution. ‘The government should also show flexibility and compensate people according to their demands,” he said.

Sirajul Haq elected fifth JI Ameer

LAHORE: Sirajul Haq was elected on Sunday as the fifth Ameer of the Jamaat-i-Islami Pakistan for five years by a secret ballot.

Siraj, 51, is the fifth elected Ameer of the Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan after Maulana Maudoodi, Mian Tufail Muhammad, Qazi Hussain Ahmed and Syed Munawar Hasan.The election team head, Abdul Hafeez Ahmed, announced the results at a press conference in Mansoora in the afternoon.

Ahmed said that the ballot papers were issued to 30,759 Arakan out of the total of 31,301 and as many as 25,533 ballot papers had been received. Thus, the voting was 85 percent. The five-year term of Munawar Hasan will end in April.

According to the JI election manifesto, the central Shoora nominated three persons for the top slot although the members were free to vote for anyone else.Like the former JI Ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmed, the newly-elected Ameer, Sirajul Haq, also hails from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Siraj was born in December 1962 in Samar Bagh, Dir. He remained the Nazim-e-Aala of Islami Jamiat Talaba from 1988 to 1991. He was elected a member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in 2002 but resigned in protest against a drone attack on a Madrassa in Dama Dolla.

He was re-elected an MPA in the last year elections and presently is the senior minister.Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif has felicitated Sirajul Haq on becoming the JI Ameer. In a statement, the chief minister expressed the hope that Siraj would play a positive role for the promotion of democratic values.

Our Peshawar adds: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan and Information Secretary Shireen Mazari on Sunday felicitated Sirajul Haq on becoming the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) Ameer and hoped his election would have a positive effect on national politics.

In a statement, they admired Sirajul Haq as an honest and untainted politician and hoped it was a good omen for promotion of clean politics in the country.They expressed the confidence that he would discharge his new responsibilities competently. The PTI leaders also congratulated the JI workers for choosing their leader through an election in the party.

The JI is coalition partner of the PTI in the provincial government and Sirajul Haq is one of the two senior ministers. He also holds the finance portfolio in the government. However, after his election, he might leave his position. If he does so, it would be the second time that he would be resigning as senior minister. In the MMA government, he had to quit as provincial minister to retain the office of the provincial chief of the party.

Musharraf to be indicted in high treason case today

ISLAMABAD: The Special Court will indict former president Gen (retd) Parvez Musharraf in the high treason case today (Monday) as the arrest warrant has been delivered to him.

Meanwhile, according to reports, Musharraf was shifted to the Intensive Care Unit of the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) as his blood pressure suddenly shot up.

The Special Court headed by Justice Faisal Arab and comprising Justice Syeda Tahira Safdar and Justice Yawar Ali Khan had summoned Musharraf for reading out the charge sheet against him in the treason case.

The security plan for the appearance of Musharraf in the Special Court has been finalised. Musharraf’s route has been given the status of a VVIP route.According to police sources, 2,650 police and Rangers personnel will be deployed in the twin cities of Rawalpindi and Islamabad. Over 650 personnel will be posted in Rawalpindi while 2,000 policemen will be deployed at different points of the route.

Four different routes have been designed to take Musharraf to the court while the final route will be decided in the morning.Owing to the life threats given to former military ruler, containers have been placed around the court premises to make it bomb-proof.

Meanwhile, red-zone will be sealed on the arrival of Musharraf in court while all connecting roads will be blocked during his movement.On the other hand, the counsel of former president Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf, Ahmad Raza Kasuri, Sunday said that chances of his client’s (Pervez Musharraf) appearing in the special court on Monday was 50/50.Talking to a private TV channel, Kasuri said that a situation of confrontation might arise if not handled wisely and added any sort of confrontation could be harmful to democracy.