ISLAMABAD: Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani stressed that Charter of Democracy (CoD) would be implemented and said it is the biggest mistake of the government to avoid acting upon it.

Talking to media, he said the government achieved extraordinary successes in the war against terrorism and the spell of successes does not stop here, adding the government has to its credit a biggest success that it won public support for war on terror.

He said the basic failure in Afghanistan in this connection is that the war lacks public support there, adding he ironed out issues on public support for the anti-terror war.

The people are standing by the government and Pak Army, he maintained adding Pak Army rendered invaluable sacrifices and Rs50 million have been donated to Shuhada Fund of the Pak Army in each province.

The PM Gilani said the use of army provides the 10 percent of the solution of the issue and the rest of the success is dependent on political and social basis.

The operation in South Waziristan Agency is in progress quite successfully and extremists are fleeing to Orakzai, the PM Gilani said adding the terrorists are being defeated and the attacks on the civilian population is testimony of their retributive activities.

A beneficiary of the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) is still holding a key post in the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan (TDAP) despite the Supreme Court’s judgment declaring the ordinance null and void.

According to official list of NRO beneficiaries, Anees Alam, ex-deputy director of the defunct Export Promotion Bureau (EPB), currently TDAP, is holding the office of Director Office of the Chief Executive Officer.

Anees Alam is at 111th position in the official list of NRO beneficiaries issued by the Law Ministry with his former boss ex-director general textile quota, Nayar Bari who is at 110th position.

There are 37 cases against these two officials including 16 cases of illegal allotment of textile quota, one case of forgery and fraud and 20 cases of obtaining illegal benefits in convince with the exporters.

Under the NRO, Anees Alam was reinstated after 15 years of suspension and posted as Director of CEO office in TDAP which is the main post after the CEO.

Sources in the TDAP revealed that in the absence of the CEO, the Director of the Office of CEO looks after every matter.

They pointed out that despite Supreme Court’s annulment of the National Reconciliation Ordinance and initiation of court proceedings against the beneficiaries, the TDAP CEO has not suspended him from service as of today.

When contacted, Anees Alam said he had faced these cases in court in the past alone and now again the court would decide his fate.

Media consultant of TDAP Ziauddin Agha while talking to media said that action would be taken under the rules and regulations of the authority.

RAWALPINDI: The PPP Punjab President Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan and senior provincial minister Raja Riaz Ahmad Khan have declared that enough is enough and from now on, the party would adopt the course of confrontation instead of the traditional conciliatory policy so far adopted.

They said Kamran Khan, Shaheen Sehbai, Ansar Abbasi and Dr Shahid Masood should not become movers and shakers in politics. The hands of those who are attempting to demolish the government would be amputated.

They were talking at the PPP provincial secretariat in Lahore on Monday after presiding over the meeting of the party’s executive council, federal council, district presidents and general secretaries. They said right from the beginning our politics had been based on ideology.

They warned that those targeting the Aiwan-e-Sadr and residing in palaces built of glass would not be spared. They said the PPP had offered tremendous sacrifices for democracy and the country’s security. Now that we are in power it is because of the leadership of Benazir Bhutto and Asif Ali Zardari.

Raja Riaz said power to the PPP had not come through charity but because of a heavy mandate given by the people. Criticizing Geo TV channel, he warned Kamran Khan and Dr. Shahid Masood to avoid becoming champions of politics. The hands of those who tried to dismantle the democratic government will be amputated.

Expressing complete confidence in the party leadership Raja Riaz said the PPP is facing a media trial but everyone must know that the party and Pakistan are inseparable.

PPP leaders also criticised Shaheen Sehbai, Group Editor of The News, and Ansar Abbasi, Editor Investigations of The News for their writings. It was alleged that Ansar Abbasi writes an elegy every day.

Earlier while addressing the meeting, PPP Punjab General Secretary Samiullah Khan said the party of Benazir Bhutto Shaheed would not be run according to “Terey, Merey Mutabiq” but the aspirations of the people. Lambasting Geo television channel, he said out of the 841 NRO beneficiaries only one man and the Swiss case was being singled out. Samiullah said the PPP would resist if the judiciary oversteps its constitutional mandate.

The PPP Punjab President Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan warned each and every organisation to confine their activities within the given parameters. He said we are not afraid of jails or police stations as we consider them as medals. Rana Aftab lambasted the intriguers and others who had launched criticism of the party leadership and said henceforth they will be confronted with full force

It seems that the PPP government has finally found its equivalent to Wasi Zafar (the absurd, and often obnoxious, Law Minister in Gen. Musharraf’s government). Listen to the Rt. Hon. Abdul Qayyum Khan Jatoi, Federal Minister for Defence Production, proclaiming that it is the “political right” of every politician to do corruption: “yaar, karrapshun pay humara haq nahiN hai, aur unn ka hai!”:

In all fairness, I should confess that there is a certain bholla-pun and naivety in Mr. Jatoi that is markedly different from the viciousness of Mr. Zafar.

Minister Jatoi does seem to be trying (badly) to make a argument – a silly argument, indeed; but an argument nonetheless. But he may also have hit on a real truth. Not only because so many politicians do indeed believe what he has naively said but even more because we have indeed created a system of governance (through the actions of the politicians, of the military and through the reactions – or lack thereof – from the courts and the media) that smacks of political immunity for the corrupt. Maybe we should listen to what he is saying more carefully, after all.

Of course, the host – Javed Chaudhry – is having a field day; and enjoying it too. A big part of this is the host’s inappropriate badgering and the game of trying to ‘corner the guest’ rather than having a conversation. Its a game played by all our leading hosts. But the fact of the matter is that Mr. Jatoi does himself no favors and looses his cool again and again. Even when the host shows some tarss on the guest, the Minister just keeps digging himself into deeper holes.

Seems like this is a pattern with Minister Jatoi, since he keeps coming for more from Javed Chaudhry. Watch them here too, as the host corners Mr. Jatoi to proclaim that he is himself corrupt (around min. 5:50). And, then, again, dig himself even deeper in a hole – trying to make a ‘point’ but making a fool of himself instead, even as the host tries to give him a way out.

And if you want more, see the next segment, when both Mr. Chaudhry and Mr. Jatoi keep at it.

ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik has said he will resign if Blackwater, found operating anywhere in Pakistan.

Talking to media in Islamabad, Malik denied presence of Afghan Taliban leader Mulla Umar in Pakistan and termed such reports as baseless.

He said operation will be launch against militants in adjoining areas of Peshawar and also said that more troops will be dispatched to Waziristan.

He said the mobile scanners from China will reach Pakistan next month, which will help to foil terror attacks.

Interior minister praised the role of citizens of Peshawar against terrorism and said security will be strengthened more in NWFP.

Malik said 75 persons have been arrested so far during anti terror drive. Replying to a question about Dr. Aafia, he said Dr. Aafia’s issues had been came under discussion during recent visit of US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and he will meet Dr. Aafia in his next US visit.

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Updated at: 1209 PST, Saturday, November 21, 2009
ISLAMABAD: Interior Minister Rehman Malik, strongly defying reports of being operational in Pakistan, the Blackwater, an alleged US underworld terrorist organistation, has said he was ready to step down from office if Blackwater existed anywhere in Pakistan or there are evidences of its engagements in Pakistan, Geo news reported.

This Malik boosted talking to media in Islamabad on Saturday morning after attending a high-level meeting in connection with the efforts for release of detained Pakistani Dr. Aafia Siddiqui from US custody.