ISLAMABAD: US Secretary of State John Kerry assured Foreign Affairs Adviser Sartaj Aziz that United States is ready to improve and expand its multidimensional partnership with Pakistan.
Aziz and Kerry met on the sidelines the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting being held in Laos, where both the dignitaries also exchanged views on the regional situation with special reference to Afghanistan.
According to a communiqué issued in Islamabad, Aziz and Kerry agreed on the importance of promoting the Afghan-led reconciliation process.
US Secretary Kerry appreciated Pakistan's determined efforts to eliminate terrorist groups in Pakistan's tribal belt with considerable success.
“I would like to visit Pakistan in the near future to review bilateral cooperation and discuss regional issues,” he said.
Meanwhile, the ARF Ministerial Meeting, which was attended by 10 ASEAN members and 17 dialogue partners, concluded today.
Britain’s PM calls Nawaz to assure cooperation
British Prime Minister Theresa May said Pakistan is its dependable ally and assured Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that both the countries will work together in the post-Brexit era and there will be “no adverse effects on the bilateral relations after Great Britain exits the EU”.
May, who telephoned Nawaz on Tuesday, said Pakistan and the United Kingdom will work together as bilateral partners.
She assured that Great Britain is committed to work with Pakistan in security related matters and strengthening democracy.
Nawaz expressed his confidence that under her leadership and vision, Britain will become ever stronger and continue playing important role in world affairs.
Nuclear weapons are not an aggressive option and you cannot use them, says former president and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari.
In an interview to Russia Today (RT), Zardari said: “You can develop it, you can have it, you can display a photograph of it but nuclear weapons are no joke.”
The former president doesn’t think there is any possibility of a nuclear clash between India and Pakistan over Kashmir issue.
Explaining the current tension in bilateral ties, Zardari said that it all revolves around the situation in Kashmir.
“Look at it from the fact that how many Kashmiris are residing in Pakistan. In fact, our current prime minister is also a Kashmiri.”
The former president urged that “it’s about time for the world to stop pointing fingers at each other and sit and think to see how we can get rid of this menace”.
Over the issue of Panama papers, which mentioned the names of prime minister’s family members, Zardari said that his party has criticised it.
When asked that PTI chief Imran Khan levels corruption charges on you as well, Zardari said that Imran’s government in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has given Rs30 million to an institution associated with the Taliban.
Talking about the US-controlled drone strikes inside Pakistani territory, Zardari said that during his tenure he repeatedly asked for the drone technology to be handed over to Pakistan in order to achieve maximum results.
“The effect is different if we are using it instead of the US. Currently we are using F-16s to bomb terrorist hideouts but we are short on those jets too.”
It won’t make much of a difference, to US or any other country opposing it, if we are given an eight or so more fighter jets, Zardari maintained.
When asked to comment on the presence of Osama bin Laden near the Pakistan Military Academy, he said that Osama wasn’t living across the academy. “He was living in Abbottabad city, it just like living any other big city where you can’t just check every other house.”
“We don’t have as many intelligence resources as United States, still they couldn’t catch him [Osama] in Afghanistan where they carried out a massive manhunt. Then how come they expect us to locate him in a place where he slipped in despite all available US intelligence,” said the former president.
Commenting on the exit of Britain from European Union and how this development will affect Pakistan, Zardari said “it is a big issue as lots of things have to be tied up and trade deals to be re-negotiated”.
He was of the opinion that Brexit will definitely have an impact on Pakistan and other trading partners, but “let’s see how it settles, how the issue unfolds”.
ISLAMABAD: As the four newly appointed members of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) take the oath on Wednesday (today), questions have been raised over procedural flaws in the process under which the appointments were made by a parliamentary committee.
A notification for appointment of the four members — retired Justice Irshad Qaiser, the first woman member of the ECP, Abdul Ghaffar Soomro, the first non-judicial officer to hold the office, retired Justice Shakeel Baloch and retired Justice Altaf Ibrahim Qureshi — was issued by the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs on Tuesday, a day after confirmation of their names by a parliamentary panel.
In a surprising move, the parliamentary committee on appointment of ECP members, which is dominated by the PML-N and the PPP, took less than two hours to select four names from two lists comprising 12 names each sent to it by the government and the opposition. It indicates that an understanding had already been reached between the two parties and the committee only endorsed the selections.
The two lists had been kept as a guarded secret and it continues to be so even after the confirmation of the four names by the parliamentary committee headed by Information Minister Senator Pervaiz Rasheed.
“Despite understanding on the names, the two lists were sent to the committee to play with the words of the amended Constitution which before addition of a proviso required hearing by the committee”, Dr Arif Alvi, a Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf lawmaker said while talking to Dawn.
Article 213 (2-A) of the Constitution reads: “The prime minister in consultation with the leader of the opposition in the National Assembly shall forward three names for appointment of the commissioner (and each ECP member) to a parliamentary committee for ‘hearing and confirmation’ of any one person.”
A proviso has been added to Article 213 (2-B) which reads: “In case there is no consensus between the prime minister and the leader of the opposition, each shall forward separate lists to the parliamentary committee for consideration which may confirm any one name.”
Mr Alvi said the spirit of the law could not be ignored by adding a proviso to a constitutional provision. The matter was open for judicial scrutiny and could be challenged in court, he added.
Ahmed Bilal Mehboob, president of the Pakistan Institute of Legislative Development and Transparency, said Article 213 (2A) clearly mentioned that the parliamentary committee would be responsible for hearing and confirmation of one name for each position.
“The constitutional provision stipulates hearing as a prerequisite of confirmation,” he said. “The parliamentary committee has committed an irregularity by confirming four names without any hearing. This has rendered the process of selection of EC members defective.”
He recalled that when four ECP members were appointed in 2011, the objection to lack of hearing was raised and Syed Khurshid Shah, who was then the chairman of the parliamentary committee, had acknowledged that it was a serious lapse on the part of the committee. The same lapse had occurred again, he added.
Mr Mehboob said though everybody knew that four members of the EC would retire on June 12, neither the prime minister initiated the process of consultation with the leader of the opposition nor the National Assembly speaker constituted the parliamentary committee in time. The speaker constituted the committee on June 14, two days after the four members of the ECP had retired and the commission had become non-functional.
No meaningful progress was made in the appointment of ECP members until July 14 when the Supreme Court directed the government to make appointments by July 27, he said.
“Who will be held responsible for rendering the ECP — one of the most important statutory bodies of Pakistan — non-functional for 43 days?” he asked.
Mudassir Rizvi of the Free and Fair Election Network — an alliance of dozens of NGOs working for electoral reforms — said a more democratic way for crucial appointments such as those of ECP members warranted transparency. “Each name that is being considered must be shared with the media and public along with reasons for consideration or rejection. A public discourse on credentials and merits and demerits of the persons being considered for the posts will enrich decisions made by the political parties. Such practices are common in advanced democracies where public parliamentary hearings are held for constitutional appointments. Such practices enhance public confidence in political decisions and improve legitimacy of public institutions.”
He also called for constitutional amendments to ensure that the offices of the ECP chairman and members must not be left vacant. “The time frame for selection and appointment of the ECP chief and members should conclude before the last day of the incumbent in office. The nomination and appointment process should be limited to three months and conclude before the last day in office of the preceding member in a normal situation and within three months after death, physical or mental incapacitation, impeachment or resignation of an ECP member,” he said.
ISLAMABAD: Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan held on Tuesday technical talks on border management and security in Kabul.
The inaugural meeting of the Pak-Afghan Joint Technical Working Group held under a newly-formed high-level consultation mechanism for coordination on border management and related security issues was also attended by Nato officials. Director General Military Operations Maj Gen Sahir Shamshad Mirza led the Pakistani delegation in the talks.
“Afghan, Pakistani and Nato officials met at the defence ministry in Kabul on Tuesday to discuss issues related to border security and joint fight against terrorism on both sides of the Durand Line,” said a brief statement issued by the Afghan defence ministry.
The bilateral mechanism meant for coordination on border management was formed after last month’s violent clashes between Pakistani and Afghan troops over the construction of a border gate that left four soldiers dead on both sides.
The joint technical working group was formed to support the consultative mechanism that includes foreign ministers and national security advisers of both countries.
QUETTA: Balochistan Assembly Speaker Raheela Hameed Khan Durrani has underlined the need for recognising gems and jewellery business as an industry which is playing an important role in the world’s economy.
Speaking at a certificate distributing ceremony of the Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Development Company (PGJDC), Ministry of Production, here on Tuesday, she said that gems and jewellery business was adding billions of dollars to the world’s economy.
She expressed her happiness after witnessing male and female youths learning cutting and polishing of gems at a gemstone centre set up by PGJDC in Quetta, and said that after getting training in such centres, hundreds of unemployed youths of Balochistan could earn their livelihood.
Ms Durrani said that Balochistan was rich in mineral resources, especially in gemstones, and thousands of jobs could be created in the province and other parts of the country by declaring it an industry.
“The federal government should declare gems and jewellery business an industry for its promotion in the province,” Ms Durrani said.
She also urged youths, especially young women, to get training of designing, cutting and polishing of gemstones in centres set up by the PGJDC in Quetta and other parts of the country.
She said that after training at these centres jobless women and men could earn their livelihood.
PGJDC chairman Abdul Razzaq and PGJDC CEO Bakhtiar Khan also spoke at the ceremony and said that gems and jewellery business had a big scope in the country.
A large number of people, including Principal of Pakistan Gems and Jewellery Training and Manufacturing Centre, Quetta, Syed Bashir Agha, Senior Gemologist Jalil Ahmed Bareach, Balochistan Women Business Association chairperson Sana Durrani, Balochistan University’s Geology Department chairman Ayub Baloch and MPA Masooma Hayat, attended the ceremony.
ISLAMABAD: The Senate on Tuesday decided to form a special committee to propose measures to address the problems being faced by the marginalised segments of society, including transgender individuals.
The house unanimously approved the formation of the committee after a two-and-a-half-hour discussion on the prevailing situation of laws and policies relating to the marginalised elements in society, including vulnerable women and children, special persons, transgender people and minorities.
Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani announced that he would finalise the membership of the proposed committee in consultation with Leader of the House Raja Zafarul Haq and Leader of the Opposition Aitzaz Ahsan.
He said the special committee’s terms of reference (ToR) would include reviewing existing laws, suggesting amendments where necessary and giving its opinion on the need for fresh legislation. The committee has also been tasked to prepare a draft law in case it feels the need for fresh legislation to be introduced.
The committee will propose a viable reforms package and steps that could redress the grievances and address the problems confronting marginalised sections of society and will also contact and liaison with organisations working for the marginalised. It will also propose rationalised employment quotas for such neglected groups and individuals.
The committee will also propose measures to strengthen institutions constituted under acts of parliament, including the National Commission on the Status of Women (NCSW) and the National Commission on Human Rights (NCHR). The Senate chairman observed that there should be no duplication of institutions, as it weakens them and defeats their purpose.
He said the committee would be required to submit a report to the house every two months, adding that the day the report is submitted would be allocated for threadbare discussion on the performance of the committee and other related issues.
Earlier, during discussion, senators suggested the formation of the special committee, pointing out problems such as the conditions under which small children were working as servants on low salaries. One member suggested legislation to make education compulsory for children and envisaged punishment for those who do not send their children to school.
They also said transgender people were treated inhumanly and ridiculed, even when they get injured and go to the hospital for treatment. Highlighting how differently transgender people were treated, Hafiz Hamdullah of the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) mentioned that a transgender person was a college principal in neighbouring India.
Several members were of the view that there were laws, but the issue was one of non-implementation. A suggestion asked for the constitution of a body to investigate mass killings, stressing that it was the duty of the state to protect the rights of the marginalised.
Members thumped their desks when the chairman informed the house that Saad Edhi, grandson of the late Abdul Sattar Edhi, was in the galleries.
Raza Rabbani refused to take up a calling-attention notice on the Wapda chairman’s pro-Kalabagh dam campaign, in the absence of Water and Power Minister Khawaja Mohammad Asif.
He asked Minister of State for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali where his minister was. “We have seen his photographs with the Turkish ambassador, but he does not come to the house,” the chairman said, pointing out that this was an important issue.
Abid Sher Ali argued that Khawaja Asif had two ministries and was busy, adding that he had come prepared and could respond on his minister’s behalf. However, the chair refused to allow him to speak, insisting that he would not take up the matter until Khawaja Asif was present. He observed that the minister should inform Mr Nawaz Sharif about his inability to run two ministries if he could not find the time to come to parliament. He later said the calling-attention notice would be taken up on Wednesday (today).
ISLAMABAD: Warrants for the arrest of fashion model Ayyan Ali issued by a Rawalpindi magistrate will remain suspended until Sept 21 but she will have to cooperate in a police investigation into the murder of a customs officer.
Extension of the suspension of the warrants, issued on July 20, was granted by a three-judge Supreme Court bench, headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, on Tuesday after hearing her petition filed through her counsel, Sardar Latif Khosa.
The warrants were obtained by the Station House Officer (SHO) of the Waris Khan police station, Manzar Abbasi, while investigating the murder of Customs Inspector Ejaz Mehmood in a case lodged by the widow, Saima Ejaz, accusing the model of being behind the killing. The apex court suspended the warrants on July 22.
The model was arrested on March 14, 2014 at Benazir Bhutto International Airport while trying to travel abroad with foreign currency worth $506,800 without permission of the State Bank of Pakistan and a lawful excuse.
The court decided to club together all her petitions.
MINGORA: A young woman has accused her father-in-law of subjecting her to rape and severe torture since her husband went abroad some eight months ago.
While talking to media persons here on Tuesday, the woman, who lied on a charpoy, said that eight months ago when her husband went to Saudi Arabia, her father-in-law started raping her and when she resisted his moves, he inflicted violence on her.
“When I told my mother-in-law about his sinful act she slapped me and ordered me to keep quiet. My in-laws did not allow me to talk to my husband whenever he would call from abroad,” she said. She said she wanted justice and nothing else.
On the occasion, the victim’s mother said her daughter was married to her paternal cousin, who worked in Saudi Arabia. She said her house and that of her daughter’s were only portioned by a wall in Bara Durushkhela village of Matta.
The woman said her daughter was regularly subjected to domestic violence by her in-laws, particularly father-in-law.
Her relatives say the victim was stabbed several times
According to her, on July 19, she heard the screams of her daughter as she was beaten by her in-laws ruthlessly. "I went to Asharey police station to file a report against them, but the police took Rs2,000 from me to go the house of the accused. But, they only met the accused and went back,” she alleged.
The woman continued: “In the evening, she again heard loud screams of her daughter. When I rushed to her house she was lying critically injured as her father-in-law had stabbed her with a knife several times. She had received deep cuts on her face and neck.”
“Once again I went to the police but the police officials told me that it was my family issue and should be solved by myself,” the victim’s mother explained.
She said the girl was shifted to the tehsil hospital Matta where once again police did not file report, adding the female doctor discharged her on the fourth day of her admission as she mentioned in the medical report that the girl received minor injuries.
“We were not allowed to meet her during her stay in hospital. Ironically, she is still in critical condition but she was discharged and the female doctor said she was alright,” the victim’s uncle, said.
Tabassum Adnan, a women rights activist, who presented the victim to the media, said incidents of violence against women were on increase but the relevant institutions observed deliberate silence. “It has become a routine matter that women are raped, beaten and killed, but neither the police nor other relevant institutions play their role to stop it,” she said. She showed concern over the doctors’ negligence and making a wrong medical report which indicated that the victim girl had minor injuries.
When contacted, Matta police station SHO Anwer Khan, said he had already sent police to bring medical report of the victim girl, on the basis of which, he would take legal action against the culprits. “Once I get the medical report, I will immediately lodge FIR and arrest the accused,” he said.
PHILADELPHIA: Hillary Clinton became the first woman in history to win the White House nomination of a major US political party Tuesday, securing the backing of Democrats at a convention in Philadelphia.
The former first lady, senator and secretary of state took a monumental step on her quest to become America's first female president, by besting party challenger Bernie Sanders.
After a tumultuous convention opening which saw Sanders and Clinton supporters trade jeers and chants, cheers erupted as Clinton passed the 2,382-delegate threshold needed for the nomination, setting up a showdown with Republican Donald Trump in November.
“History,” said a post on her Twitter account.
Bill Clinton delivers remarks on the second day of the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.— AFP
Although the outcome was virtually a foregone conclusion, the state-by-state vote saw rowdy displays on the convention floor.
A handful of diehard Sanders delegates expressed frustration with their candidate's defeat, but they were drowned out by ecstatic Clinton supporters.
After his delegates had been counted, Sanders took the floor and, in a bid to unify the party, called for a vote by acclamation.
“I move that Hillary Clinton be selected as the nominee of the Democratic Party for president of the United States,” he said to deafening cheers and finally a chorus of “ayes.” Delegates thrust placards in the air, forming a mosaic of “H's” that coated the stadium floor.
“It's historic, I haven't taken it all in yet,” an emotional Senator Tammy Baldwin told AFP.
Clinton's nomination was formally put forward by Senator Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, the longest serving woman in the history of the US Congress. Civil rights icon John Lewis, a congressman from Georgia, seconded the nomination.
'Show a little class'
The Clinton camp is now looking to unite the party's factions.
Monday saw disruptive protests and a rancorous fight over leaked emails that showed party bias against Sanders. Frustration boiled over as his delegates jeered speakers who mentioned Clinton.
Vice President Joe Biden, who will address the convention Wednesday along with President Barack Obama, dismissed concerns the party was not uniting behind Clinton.
“We've got to show a little class and let them be frustrated for a while. It's OK,” he said of Sanders supporters as he toured the convention arena Tuesday.
Sanders meanwhile called on his supporters to get behind Clinton.
“In my view, it's easy, it's easy to boo, but it is harder to look your kids in the face who would be living under a Donald Trump presidency,” he said.
Trump took the usual shots at Clinton during a speech to the Veterans of Foreign Wars in Charlotte, North Carolina, calling her “Crooked Hillary” and charging that her use of a private email account as secretary of state “put America's entire national security at risk.”
A Clinton campaign official said Tuesday's convention events aim to draw a sharp contrast with Trump. The line-up of speakers will talk about her life-long fights to make a difference.
Chief among them will be former president Bill Clinton, who will take the stage during primetime to hail his wife as a “change-maker,” the official said.
But Clinton and the others, including mothers who have lost children to gun violence or in clashes with police, will also have the unstated mission of mending fences with Sanders' army of vocal young activists.
'I'm with her'
Michelle Obama appeared to soothe some of the Sanders zealots Monday night, as she delivered a heartfelt endorsement from one first lady to another and hailed the inspirational prospect of a first female US president.
“In this election, I'm with her,” Obama said.
She also praised how Clinton handled her defeat to Barack Obama in the Democratic primaries eight years ago.
“She didn't get angry or disillusioned. Hillary did not pack up and go home,” she said. “As a true public servant, Hillary knows that this is so much bigger than her own desires and disappointments.” - From 'political revolution' to revolt -
Despite Sanders calling on his flock to get behind Clinton, his self-styled “political revolution” appears to have transformed into a revolt.
Future first husband?
Bill Clinton's highly anticipated address could jump-start the party healing process.
The 69-year-old Democratic icon and two-term president remains a powerful force on the national stage, although he is more gaunt and his energy is no longer boundless as it appeared four years ago.
At the 2012 Democratic convention, he delivered closing arguments for why Barack Obama should be re-elected, a voice of experience explaining Obama's policies in clear, cogent detail and why he felt Republican policies were failing.
GUJRAT: The parents of a British woman of Pakistani origin along with her former husband and two others have been booked for killing their own daughter in a village near Mangla in Jhelum district, police said on Tuesday.
Syed Mukhtar Kazim, the husband of 28-year-old Samia Shahid, alleged that his wife was killed by her family in the name of so-called honour as she married him against the will of her parents.
He lodged an FIR on July 23 against Samia’s father Chaudhary Shahid, mother Imtiaz Bibi, sister Madiha Shahid, cousin Mobeen and the deceased woman’s former husband Chaudhary Shakil under Sections 302 (premeditated murder), 34 (common intention) and 109 (abetment) of the Pakistan Penal Code.
The death of Samia was reported by her father to Mangla police on July 20.
The suspects, who belong to Dhok Pandori village, have denied the charges and insist that Samia had died of cardiac arrest.
The British woman of Pakistani origin was allegedly murdered in Mangla
Police briefly detained the father of the woman but set him free after an initial inquiry.
An official of the Mangla police said body samples of the deceased had been sent to the forensic laboratory in Lahore and the result was awaited.
A beauty therapist from Bradford, Samia had previously been married to her cousin Shakil but the couple reportedly parted ways after divorce in May 2014. The woman then married Mr Kazim of Taxila in September 2014 and both started living in Dubai.
Mr Kazim claimed in the FIR that Samia had been killed by her relatives who had refused to accept their relationship because he did not belong to their community.
He said his mother-in-law phoned Samia on July 11 and asked her to come to Pakistan to see her ailing father.
She arrived in the country on July 14.
She told him by phone that her father was alright and now she was feeling insecure and threatened.
Mr Kazim said on July 20 his wife’s phone was switched off and he contacted Mobeen, her cousin, who told him that Samia had suffered a heart attack.
Mr Kazim reached Pakistan on July 21.
According to a report in The Guardian, the deceased woman’s family strongly denied Mr Kazim’s claims. Her father was quoted as saying that the allegations made by Mr Kazim were “lies and allegations” against him. “An investigation is under way and if I am found guilty I am ready for every kind of punishment,” he said.
“My daughter was living a very peaceful and happy life. She had come to Pakistan on her own and was not under any pressure from her family.”
Naz Shah, a member of British parliament from Bradford, had asked the prime minister of Pakistan to intervene, the report said.
In a letter written on Sunday to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Ms Shah wrote: “Should this be [an honour killing] case then we must ensure justice is done for Samia and we must ensure this never happens again.”
The British High Commission in Islamabad is in contact with the local authorities in Jhelum as well as the family of the deceased regarding the developments in the case.
KARACHI: Sindh Governor Dr Ishrat-ul-Ibad on Wednesday accepted the resignation of senior Pakistan People's Party (PPP) leader Syed Qaim Ali Shah from Sindh chief minister post.
Shah's resignation came in the wake of PPP chairperson Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari's decision to inject "young blood" for the betterment of the province, as Maula Bux Chandio, adviser to the Sindh chief minister on information, informed earlier.
About the removal of Qaim Ali Shah, party sources said that apart from his soft stance on the issue of Rangers’ actions in the province, the factor that caused his departure was fragmentation in the party.
The party leadership got complaints from a group that he did not entertain their requests about various projects and lucrative transfers and postings.
“He [Mr Shah] is a man who goes by the book, which too went against him ultimately when it came to political considerations,” said a senior party man.
CM Shah’s performance in the development sector was also questioned by his detractors. He contended with this allegation throughout his long stint as the chief minister and finally it was counted as one of the reasons that played in the party’s decision to show him the door.
His soft attitude towards Rangers and an independent stance in implementing the National Action Plan is said to be among the factors of his exit.
KARACHI: In a widely expected move, the Pakistan Peoples Party formally nominated senior Sindh minister Syed Murad Ali Shah as chief minister after outgoing provincial chief executive Syed Qaim Ali Shah handed in his resignation on Tuesday.
“Our party has nominated Syed Murad Ali Shah as the new chief minister of Sindh,” a party lawmaker quoted PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari as announcing the decision after presiding over sessions with various tiers of the party at Bilawal House.
Syed Murad Ali Shah.
Sindh chief minister’s adviser on information, Maula Bux Chandio, confirmed that the PPP chief had nominated Syed Murad Ali Shah as the new chief minister.
As the party chairman made the announcement, media personnel stationed outside Bilawal House heard loud slogans of Jeay Bhutto chanted by the members of the provincial legislature taking part in the meeting.
PPP leaders said their party chief paid tribute to the outgoing chief minister for his selfless devotion to his job during the past eight years in office and said the new chief minister would do equally good work for the betterment of the people of Sindh.
Mr Bhutto-Zardari held the meetings soon after his return from Dubai, along with his aunt, MNA Faryal Talpur, and other members of the party.
It took Mr Bhutto-Zardari several hours to finish all the meetings and finally announce the name of the new chief minister at a meeting attended by all legislators.
Later, in a brief interview with a private news channel, Syed Murad Ali Shah said law and order would be the biggest challenge for his government, adding that he would declare a health and education emergency to improve the performance of the social sector in the province. “With civil bureaucracy and military establishment, we’ll overcome the security challenges we are facing,” he told the TV channel.
According to a spokesman for the PPP, the outgoing chief minister assured Mr Bhutto-Zardari during a meeting that his loyalty to the party would be as firm as it had been since its inception five decades ago.
“The meeting lasted more than an hour and most of the time was spent by the party chairman in praising Qaim Ali Shah,” said a PPP leader.
The party spokesman said Mr Bhutto-Zardari later held a meeting with Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah and took him into confidence on the change in the Sindh government.
Mr Shah was among certain party leaders who had expressed their unawareness when PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari’s spokesman announced the change in the provincial government.
Nisar Khuhro, who is being tipped as the future home minister, and several other members of the Sindh cabinet also called on the PPP chairman and discussed with him the party’s future strategy.
“The overall feedback supported the party’s decision, but there was some faint opposition that concerned the PPP’s standing in the next general elections if Murad Ali Shah failed to deliver,” said a party leader.
“The decision about Murad Ali Shah was taken with an overwhelming majority in his favour,” said a party source privy to the developments. Mr Bhutto-Zardari said the decision to replace an experienced and loyal party leader was a very difficult one, but sometimes the party had to take such decisions for “political and strategic purposes” in the collective interest of the party and the province.
He called Mr Shah a great asset of the party who stood by it through thick and thin for three generations of its leadership.
Mr Shah said the party’s decision was his own because the PPP leadership had always taken wise decisions and he would continue to serve the party.
According to a spokesman for Bilawal House, the PPP chairman later met MPAs of the party from every district separately to take them into confidence and seek their opinion about the party’s future strategy.
KUWAIT CITY: A Kuwaiti court on Wednesday sentenced a Shia lawmaker to 14 years and six months in absentia for remarks deemed highly offensive to fellow Gulf states Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
Abdulhameed Dashti received 11 years and six months for insulting Saudi Arabia and three years for insulting Bahrain in another case.
The outspoken lawmaker, who has been living overseas for the past four months, was also convicted of endangering Kuwait's diplomatic ties with the two countries and for calling on people to join the Lebanese Hezbollah militia.
Dashti described the sentences as “oppressive” on his Twitter account, but insisted that he will not back down.
The verdicts are not final but Dashti can only challenge them when he goes back to the oil-rich emirate. He did not say when he will return.
Dashti, a strong supporter of Iran and Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, told parliament in March that he was undergoing medical treatment in Britain.
The lawmaker still faces several similar cases and if convicted could receive additional jail terms.
Dashti has been a vocal critic of the royal families of both Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
He denounced the 2011 Saudi military intervention in Bahrain to support the government against Shia-led protests as an “invasion”.
In May last year, Dashti filed a request to question the Kuwaiti foreign minister over the country's participation in the Saudi-led air campaign against Yemen's Huthi rebels.
But parliament refused to allow him to grill the minister over Kuwait's involvement, which he alleged was in breach of the constitution.
There are just nine Shia MPs in Kuwait's 50-seat parliament. The minority community comprises some 30 per cent of the country's native population of 1.3 million.
Pakistan middle-order batsman Umar Akmal anchored his Carribean Premier League (CPL) franchise Trinbago Knight Riders to a three-wicket win against St Lucia Zouks on Tuesday.
Coming in to bat when his side was three down for 38 in the start of the seventh over, Akmal hit 10 boundaries, three fours and seven sixes, that bagged him the Man-of-the-Match award.
The right-handed batsman put up two 50 plus stands with New Zealand's Anton Devcich and West Indian off-spinner Sunil Narine.
With 46 runs to win with three wickets in hand, the 26-year-old hit three sixes and a four in the 17th over of the match to bring Knight Riders into the game.
Kevon Cooper hit the winning runs on the last ball of the penultimate over.
Akmal, who last played for Pakistan during the ICC World T20, remained unbeaten on 73, scoring at a staggering strike rate of 208.
PHILADELPHIA: Hillary Clinton's campaign on Wednesday lashed out at Donald Trump for encouraging Russia to trawl the former secretary of state's emails, describing his comments as a “national security issue.”
“This has to be the first time that a major presidential candidate has actively encouraged a foreign power to conduct espionage against his political opponent,” said top Clinton adviser Jake Sullivan.
“This has gone from being a matter of curiosity, and a matter of politics, to being a national security issue.”
Trump, who is expected soon to receive his first government intelligence briefing, suggested on Wednesday that Russia could help find emails known to have been deleted from Clinton's private server when she was secretary of state on the grounds they were personal.
The FBI concluded earlier this month that Clinton had been “extremely careless” in her handling of classified material via a private email server, but did not recommend that she face criminal charges.
Republicans see the missing emails as a smoking gun, however.
“Russia, if you're listening, I hope you're able to find the 30,000 e-mails that are missing,” Trump told a news conference.
The Clinton campaign's explosive accusation of inviting foreign spying came as US intelligence agencies pointed to Russia as the cause of a mass hack of Democratic Party emails.
Clinton's camp believes that Moscow gave the mails to WikiLeaks, which released them last week, to foment unease between the former first lady and her one-time Democratic rival Bernie Sanders.
The scandal caused the resignation of Democratic Party leader Debbie Wasserman Schultz and poured kerosene on Democratic infighting at a party convention in Philadelphia.
Trump has adopted a number of pro-Russian policy positions as a presidential candidate, suggesting he would recognize Moscow's annexation of Crimea and lift economic sanctions.
His campaign chair's close ties with pro-Russian politicians in Ukraine has also raised allegations that Trump is too cozy with Moscow and its powerful leader Vladimir Putin.
“I have nothing to do with Putin,” Trump said. “Never spoken to him. I know nothing about him other than he will respect me.”
“If it is Russia. Nobody knows. It's probably China, or it could be somebody sitting in his bed. But it shows how weak we are. It shows how disrespected we are,” he said.
Trump's vice-presidential running mate Mike Pence quickly tried to limit the fallout from the mogul's comments.
“The FBI will get to the bottom of who is behind the hacking,” he said in a statement.
“If it is Russia and they are interfering in our elections, I can assure you both parties and the United States government will ensure there are serious consequences.”
LAHORE: The Indian High Commission in Islamabad has refused visas to a Pakistani medical mission wishing to visit the held Kashmir for treating the victims of recent violence.
Thirty visa applicants, including senior doctors and paramedics, were not allowed entry into the commission’s building, mission coordinator Dr Nasir Hamdani told the media in Islamabad. He said as the Indian High Commission had refused to accept their visa applications by hand, they had applied online and sent documents through a courier company too.
The little known Muslim Medical Mission is headed by Dr Zafar Iqbal, who also reportedly coordinates the medical camps organised by the Jamaatud Dawa (JuD).
“We had applied on humanitarian ground and not on a political basis,” Dr Hamdani said, requesting world human rights agencies, including the UN, to pressurise India for issuance of visas as the Kashmiris, according to him, had refused to get treatment from Indian doctors.
Mr Hamdani also appealed to medical practitioners across the world, including Christians or Hindus, to reach Srinagar to help the Kashmiris’ injured by pellet guns and chemicals by the Indian forces. He said the mission would have also carried medical supplies, which were in short supply in the India-held Kashmir.
KARACHI: The administrative judge of the antiterrorism courts remanded on Tuesday Muttahida Qaumi Movement mayoral candidate for Karachi Waseem Akhtar in prison in around 10 cases.
Mr Akhtar with three other politicians — Rauf Siddiqui of the MQM, Anis Kaimkhani of the Pak Sarzameen Party and Qadir Patel of the PPP — landed in prison on July 19 after an ATC dismissed their interim bails in a case related to abetting the treatment of alleged terrorists and gangsters at the hospitals of former federal minister Dr Asim Hussain, the main suspect in the case.
After taking him in custody from the prison, police produced the MQM leader before the administrative judge on July 21 and obtained his five-day physical remand for questioning in two other cases lodged at the Sachal and Malir City police stations earlier this year for listening to speeches of Altaf Hussain, the self-exiled leader of his party.
After the end of his physical remand, police reproduced Mr Akhtar before the court and submitted that he was also formally arrested with Aslam, alias Kala, in seven more cases pertaining to rioting lodged at different police stations of Malir during the May 12, 2007 mayhem.
They further informed the court that the MQM leader was shown arrested in another case registered at the Brigade police station for listening to a speech of his party chief.
The investigating officers sought extension in Mr Akhtar’s physical remand for questioning in the new cases. However, defence lawyer Khawaja Naveed opposed the extension in police custody and argued that his client was not present during the speech of his party chief as it was delivered at an event meant for women only.
The ATCs administrative judge sent the MQM leader and other suspects to prison on 14-day judicial remand and directed the investigating officers to submit investigation reports by Aug 9. However, the court ruled that the police could interrogate the suspects on the premises of the central prison if necessary.
The counsel moved bail applications in three cases and an application seeking better facilities for the MQM leader in prison and the administrative judge sent the applications to ATC- I and II for hearing.
Meanwhile, Rauf Siddiqui through his lawyer withdrew a bail application from the Sindh High Court and moved the same plea before the trial court (ATC-II) in a case related to the treatment of alleged terrorists at Dr Asim’s hospitals.
The court will take up the application for hearing on Wednesday while a similar application of Anis Kaimkhani is also fixed for arguments before the same court on the same day.
They with the MQM’s London-based leader Saleem Shahzad and Usman Moazzam of Pasban have been booked for allegedly asking Dr Asim, the main suspect in the case, to provide treatment and shelter to the suspected terrorists, militants and gangsters at the North Nazimabad and Clifton branches of his hospital.
NEW DELHI: Two Muslim women have been beaten up at a railway station in central India on suspicion of carrying beef, an offence in many parts of the Hindu-majority country, police said Wednesday.
The meat the women were carrying has since turned out to be buffalo, but police in Madhya Pradesh state said they were attacked on Tuesday at a busy station, apparently after a group of vigilantes raised suspicions.
Video footage broadcast on local television channels showed a group of women slapping, kicking and punching the two as a large crowd gathered.
In the video filmed by one of the spectators, policemen are seen making feeble attempts to control the crowd.
The two women were subsequently arrested on suspicion of carrying beef.
Tests found it was actually buffalo, and they now face the lesser charge of carrying commercial quantities of meat without a licence.
Cows are revered by Hindus and slaughtering them is illegal in most Indian states.
Several states also bar the sale and possession of beef, and there has been a recent upsurge in attacks by vigilantes from the Hindu right on people suspected of killing cows.
“We had prior information and had deputed force to arrest them but unfortunately some people attacked them,” said Manoj Sharma, district police chief of Mandsaur where the incident occurred.
None of the people who attacked the two women had been arrested for the assault, Sharma said.
It comes days after a group of low-caste Hindu men were beaten by vigilantes in the western state of Gujarat on suspicion of killing a cow — a charge they denied.
The men said they were taking the dead cow to be skinned — a task commonly given to low-caste villagers in India, where the animals roam freely.
Opposition parties raised the latest attack in parliament on Wednesday and demanded the government act against vigilante groups.
SHAH DIN: The mother of Qandeel Baloch, the social media sensation who was murdered in a so-called 'honour' killing, said her son strangled his sister after being taunted by his friends over her behaviour.
The murder of Qandeel, who shot to fame posting risque videos and statements on Facebook, shone a spotlight on such killings and re-ignited calls for legislative action to curb the crime.
Speaking to AFP from her home in the village of Shah Sadar Din, Baloch's mother Anwar Wai wept as she recalled the shocking death at the hands of brother Muhammad Wasim.
“He killed my daughter after being taunted by his friends. They would infuriate him and tell him she is bringing you dishonour,” she said, surrounded by her husband as well as an adult son and daughter.
Qandeel's brother had been threatening her to stop posting photos and videos on Facebook, police said at the time of her death.
The desperately poor family, who live in a three-room house with mud for flooring, said they depended on Qandeel financially and did not know how they would cope without her.
Qandeel supported a dozen relatives
“She was an amazing daughter. I have no words that do her justice, and she took care of us much more than our sons including financially,” she said, adding the family were being put up in a house that Qandeel (real name Fauzia Azeem) had in Multan.
“She would phone us four or five times a day. If she wasn't able to call one day, she would tell us 'I'm sorry, I was working.'”
Qandeel was strangled to death by her brother, named Waseem, earlier this month in her Multan residence.
Who is Qandeel Baloch?
Baloch, who became famous through her tireless self-promotion and suggestive "selfies" posted on social media, had amassed tens of thousands of followers.
"Nothing is good in this society. This patriarchal society is bad," Qandeel had said in a recent interview with Images.
In one of her last Facebook posts, Qandeel reiterated her unapologetic approach: "No matter how many times I will be pushed down under... I am a fighter, I will bounce back."
"Qandeel Baloch [is an] inspiration to ladies who are treated badly... I know you will keep on hating, who cares?" wrote Qandeel, who often referred to herself as a "one-woman army".
She is derided and feted in equal measure in Pakistan, but the popularity of her videos evidence frustrations of many young people tired of being told how to behave.
She shot to fame in Pakistan in 2014.
Earlier this month, Qandeel released a music video which she starred in alongside little known young singer Aryan Khan. Titled 'Ban,' the music video touched on Qandeel's status as a controversial social media icon, and was provocative given Pakistan's conservative standards for entertainment.
Days later a man claiming to be Qandeel's ex-husband made an appearance on TV, saying that Qandeel had a son with him during their brief marriage.
Qandeel confirmed his claims, saying she was forced into the marriage.
NEW DELHI: India has signed a billion-dollar deal with Boeing to buy four maritime surveillance planes, defence and aviation sources said on Wednesday, as it looks to counter China in the Indian Ocean.
The deal for four P-8I aircraft follows India's earlier purchase of eight of the planes from the American aerospace giant in 2009.
“The deal has been signed. The delivery dates are being worked out,” a defence ministry source told AFP, adding that the deal was worth more than a billion dollars.
India has already deployed its original eight long-range P-8I aircraft to track submarine movements in the Indian Ocean.
The navy is looking to beef up its fleet to strengthen its capabilities against submarines and surface ships.
“India has a vast maritime border and these planes are meant for long-range surveillance,” a Boeing official told AFP, adding that a clause in the earlier agreement provided for New Delhi to purchase four more planes.
“The navy will likely deploy them in the Indian Ocean and Bay of Bengal to counter Chinese influence in the seas,” the official said.
India, the world's number one defence importer, is in the midst of a multi-billion dollar upgrade of its Soviet-era military hardware.
The country has signed several big-ticket defence deals since Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party stormed to power in 2014.
Other deals have been mired in bureaucratic wrangles, however, notably the agreement to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets from France's Dassault Aviation which has been pending since 2012.
Modi's government has raised the limit on foreign investment in the defence sector and encouraged tie-ups between foreign and local companies.
Modi, a hardline Hindu nationalist, has also called for the manufacturing of defence equipment locally and cut down reliance on expensive imports.
