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| September 27, 2007 | Thursday | Ramazan 14, 1428 |
Updated round-the-clock, with major updates after 10:00 PST (05:00 GMT)
Musharraf, Wajih, Amin Fahim file nominations for presidential vote ISLAMABAD, Sept 27(Reuters): Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Thursday filed papers at the Election Commission nominating President Pervez Musharraf to stand in the October 6 presidential election. Party leaders and government officials accompanied Mr Aziz to file the papers. The PM told media, “President Pervez Musharraf is the candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League (PML) and its allies and we are confident that he will succeed,” he said. Mr Wajihuddin Ahmed, a former Supreme Court judge who refused to swear allegiance to Musharraf after his 1999 coup, also filed his nomination. Makhdoom Amin Fahim of Pakistan People's Party also filed papers to contest in the presidential election. Security was tight in Islamabad with a ring of police monitoring traffic passing through checkpoints and riot police standing by. (First Posted @ 09:00 PST Updated @ 12:06 PST)
Opposition MNAs, MPAs to quit ahead of Musharraf election PESHAWAR, Pakistan, Sept 27 (AFP) - An alliance of opposition parties late Thursday decided to resign from the National and the provincial assemblies ahead of President Pervez Musharraf's bid to stay in power for five more years, party leaders said. The All Parties Democratic Movement at a meeting in the northwestern city of Peshawar “unanimously” decided that opposition lawmakers would hand in their resignations to party leaders on Saturday, senior opposition leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman told a news conference. The party leaders would then submit the resignations to the speakers of the national and provincial assemblies on Tuesday, he added. The same day, the chief minister of the MMA-ruled North West Frontier Province would ask the governor to dissolve the provincial assembly, the only one where the opposition has a majority, he said. “We will use all means at our disposal to oppose Musharraf's bid for reelection,” the Maulana said, calling the opposition move a “historic decision.” Under the constitution the governor has to act on the chief minister's advice within 24 hours otherwise the assembly will automatically stand dissolved 48 hours after the advice, senior lawyer Qazi Anwar told AFP.Four provincial assemblies and the lower and upper houses of the federal parliament make up the electoral college for the presidential polls. The dissolution of the provincial assembly would make the presidential election controversial, Anwar said. The government says the resignations would have no impact as the ruling coalition has enough votes to elect Musharraf .(Posted @ 20:35 PST)
Dissolution of provincial assembly cannot affect presidential election, SC told ISLAMABAD, Sept 27 (APP): Abdul Hafeez Pirzada, appearing as amicus curiae, Thursday told the nine-member bench of the Supreme Court, headed by justice Rana Bhagwandas, hearing a set of constitutional petitions that dissolution of a provincial assembly could not affect the holding of presidential election. Hafeez Pirzada said according to the Constitution election of president could be held in the presence of National Assembly. He was of the view that even if a month is left to the completion of tenure of assemblies and presidential election becomes due meanwhile, the outgoing assemblies are constitutionally bound to elect the president. In India, presidential election was held despite dissolution of two provincial assemblies, he said. Hafeez Pirzada said that the 17th Amendment and Act 7 of 2004 are valid laws and this matter had already been settled in Supreme Court verdict of 2005 and it could not be reopened. Both were passed by the parliament, and legislation is constitutional right of the legislature, he said, adding that a party who is one of the petitioners now had voted for the 17th Amendment. President Musharraf is eligible to contest the election as he was allowed to retain dual office till 15th of November 2007, he further said. Article 63 (1) (d) is not applicable to President Musharraf till that date, he added. According to him, the Election Commission and high courts provide remedial forum and the petitioners should first approach these forums. Hafeez Pirzada said that morality and legality should not be separated but at one stage “we will have to draw a line between the two.” Earlier Ch. Aitzaz Ahsan, resuming his submissions as amicus, presented a 24-page written statement and read out some portions. The bench will reassemble on Friday and Abdul Hafeez Pirzada will continue his submissions after which counsels of the petitioners Mohammad Akram Sheikh, Hamid Khan and A.K Dogar will use their right of reply. The court is expected to give its verdict in a short order on Friday.(Posted @ 19:55 PST)
SC orders release of Javed Hashmi, others ISLAMABAD, Sept 27 (AFP) Pakistan's top judge Thursday ordered the government to free at least 100 opposition workers who were arrested at the weekend to stop protests against President Pervez Musharraf, officials said. Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry gave the order after summoning officials to the Supreme Court. Those to be freed include Javed Hashmi, the acting chief of exiled former premier Nawaz Sharif's Pakistan Muslim League party, and several key leaders of religious parties and other groups. On Thursday, authorities clamped tight security on the capital on the occasion of the filing of nomination papers for the presidential election, including blocking all roads into the capital. Chief Justice Chaudhry took suo motu notice, expressed annoyance over the blockade and asked officials to “name the authority on whose orders action was taken,” an official said. “The administration offered an unconditional apology before the court for blocking the roads,” he said. The apology was accepted.(Posted @ 15:40 PST)
40 file nomination for Presidential Polls Islamabad, Sept 27 :- A total of forty nomination papers for the presidential poll on Oct 6 were filed across Pakistan on Thursday. Fourteen nominations were filed in Islamabad, eleven in Lahore, and fifteen in Karachi but none at Peshawar or Quetta, Election Commission sources said. Among those whose nominations were filed in Islamabad included President General Pervez Musharraf, former supreme court judge Wajihuddin Ahmad, Makhdoom Amin Fahim, senate chairman Mohammad mian Soomro, and National Assembly Speaker Ameer Hussain. The notable candidate filing nomination at Karachi was Ms. Faryal Talpur, sister of Asif Ali Zardari. The others who filed their nominations were less known and not claiming to represent any political group or party. Scrutiny of the nomination papers will be conducted on Saturday. Withdrawals date is Oct 01, followed by the notification of the list of the validly nominated candidates the same day.(Posted @ 17:00 PST)
Govt believes in dialogue: PM Aziz ISLAMABAD, Sept 27 (PPI) PML President, Ch. Shujaat Hussain, Secretary General PML, Mushahid Hussain Sayed, senior PML leader, Hamid Nasir Chattha, Leader of the House in Senate, Waseem Sajjad, Chief Minister Sindh, Dr. Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Chief Minister Balochistan, Jam Mohammad Yousuf, called on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz and discussed among other things the strategy regarding the upcoming general elections.(Posted @ 20:35 PST)
Musharraf for Ulema's active role against extremists ISLAMABAD, Sept 27 (APP): President General Pervez Musharraf Thursday urged religious scholars to play an active role in ridding the society of extremism and terrorism.Talking to a 15-member delegation of 'Ulema, Mashaikh and Gaddi Nashins' led by Khwaja Attaullah Khan, he said people across the world, who have little knowledge of Islam, see Muslims blowing up each other and wrongly perceive Islam as a religion of intolerance, violence and extremism and asked Ulema to use their influence in removing hatred from the society and to inculcate peace, harmony and tolerance in the society, which is the true spirit of Islam.(Posted @ 20:00 PST)
Nine dead in Myanmar protests YANGON, Sept 27 (AFP) - Nine people, including eight protesters and a Japanese man, were killed Thursday in a crackdown on anti-government protests, Myanmar's state media said.Another 11 demonstrators were injured including one woman, and 31 security forces were also injured, it said in an evening television bulletin. “The protesters threw bricks, sticks and knives at the security forces, so because of the desperate situation the security forces had to fire warning shots,” it said.(Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Donors give Global Fund 9.7 bln dollars BERLIN, Sept 27 (AFP) - Donors have pledged 9.7 billion dollars (6.8 billion euros) to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria from 2008 to 2010, less than it requested, UNAIDS head Peter Piot said Thursday. The Global Fund, which was set up at the behest of former UN chief Annan five years ago, has said it needs between 12 and 18 billion dollars to fund its existing programmes and initiate new ones between 2008 and 2010.(Posted @ 19:20 PST)
Three drown as boat capsizes near Naushera ISLAMABAD, Sep 27 (APP) Three people, including two women were drowned, when a boat capsized in River Kabul in Naushera Thursday. According to police sources, the boat sailing from Tarlandi to Soriankhel overturned due to overloading. Ten people were onboard the ill-fated boat; seven were rescued.(Posted @ 17:45 PST)
Cricket-Yousuf to play in South Africa series KARACHI, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Pakistan's record-breaking batsman Mohammad Yousuf has made himself available for the upcoming Test series against South Africa after a meeting with his country's cricket chief on Thursday. Yousuf said Thursday he would be available for the first Test starting on Oct. 1 in Karachi. “There was some misunderstanding between me and the board that has now been cleared up,” he said. “I will now play for Pakistan.” After being dropped from the Twenty20 World Cup squad last month, Yousuf announced he had signed-up with the breakaway ICL. Former captain, Inzamam-ul-Haq, Imran Farhat and Abdul Razzaq are the other Pakistan players who have joined the ICL. Pakistan Cricket Board chief Nasim Ashraf said:“I had a fruitful discussion with Yousuf today. Misunderstandings have been removed.He has agreed to cancel his ICL contract and sign a central contract with us. He is now available for Pakistan”. “He is the backbone of our side and we would now like to see him playing until the next World Cup in 2011” He said Yousuf, 32, will join the Pakistan squad on Saturday and resume training immediately.(Posted @ 16:00 PST)
Taliban say holding ICRC staff, to free them soon KABUL, Sept 27 (Reuters) Taliban insurgents said Thursday they were holding four staff of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) missing in Afghanistan, but would release them soon. “Our mujahideen detained the Red Cross workers in Wardak province without knowing they were ICRC staff,” said a Taliban spokesman who declined to be named. “We have nothing against the Red Cross and we are going to release them soon.” Earlier, the ICRC and the Afghan authorities had reported the kidnapping of their four aid workers – two foreigners and their two Afghan drivers. (FirstPosted @ 09:38 PST, Updated@ 16:30 PST)
US study sees Russia, Pakistan most vulnerable to nuclear theft VIENNA, Sept 27 (AFP) - A new study said Russia and Pakistan were particularly vulnerable to nuclear theft and more could and should be done worldwide to prevent nuclear weapons and materials from falling into “terrorist” hands. The report, commissioned by the US-run Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI) and published Wednesday, found that “the threat of nuclear theft and terrorism remains high in many parts of the world.” But “it appears that the highest risks of nuclear theft today are in Russia, Pakistan and at HEU-fuelled (highly-enriched uranium) research reactors,” the report's author, Matthew Bunn, wrote. Nuclear security in Russia had improved dramatically since the mid-1990s, the report found. “But real risks remain,” Bunn warned. Pakistan's nuclear stockpiles, for their part, were comparatively small. But serving military officers in Pakistan cooperated with al-Qaeda in two plots to assassinate President Pervez Musharraf, “raising questions about the reliability of the military officers who guard the country's nuclear stockpile,” Bunn said. Also alarming was lax security at many HEU research reactors, he complained.(Posted @ 15:45 PST)
Bomb blast destroyes seven shops SWAT, Pakistan, Sep 27 (APP): Seven Shops were destroyed Wednesday night when a bomb went off in Mattah area in Swat Valley region in northwest Pakistan. The bomb was planted near a barber shop by suspected miscreants who also opened fire at the police station after the blast. However, no causality was reported. (Posted @ 14:23 PST)
OIC panel calls for expeditious settlment of Kashmir dispute UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 27 (APP) - A ministerial panel of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Wednesday reaffirmed its support to the Kashmiri people's right to self-determination, and called on India and Pakistan to “expeditiously” resolve the Kashmir dispute. The call was issued by the OIC Contact Group, which met on the sidelines of UN General Assembly to review the latest developments relating to the decades-old dispute. The meeting urged India to reciprocate the “commendable flexibility” being shown by Pakistan, voiced concern at the “continuing systematic human rights violations in occupied Kashmir and urged India to cease such violations.” It also asked India to allow an OIC fact-finding mission in occupied Kashmir “as soon as possible.” (Posted @ 14:17 PST)
Wajihuddin explains candidature ISLAMABAD, Sept 27 (APP): Presidential candidate Justice (Retd) Wajihuddin Ahmed Thursday said that he was contesting election against President General Pervez Musharraf in greater national interest. Talking to newsmen on arrival at the Election Commission building to file nomination papers he said under the constitution present assemblies cannot elect the new president as they had completed their five year term. He said the present government had failed to provide jobs, education and pure drinking water to people. (Posted @ 14:07 PST)
Cricket: New Zealand squad for South Africa Tests WELLINGTON, Sept 27 (AFP) - New Zealand named their squad Thursday for the two-Test series against South Africa in November. New Zealand squad: Daniel Vettori (captain), Shane Bond, Craig Cumming, Stephen Fleming, Mark Gillespie, Peter Fulton, Chris Martin, Michael Mason, Brendon McCullum, Kyle Mills, Jacob Oram, Michael Papps, Jeetan Patel, Scott Styris, Ross Taylor. (Posted @ 13:50 PST)
S. Arabia urges Israel to freeze settlements, barrier NEW YORK, Sept 27 (AFP) - Israel should freeze construction of Jewish settlements and a separation barrier in the West Bank to prove its “seriousness” ahead of a Middle East peace summit, Saudi Arabia's foreign minister Saud al-Faisal said Wednesday in a news conference on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. “It's not too much to ask. If you are talking about giving back occupied territory you should not take new territories,” he said. (Posted @ 13:45 PST)
Hundreds protest farmer's killing in occupied Kashmir SRINAGAR, occupied Kashmir, Sept 27 (AFP) - Hundreds of villagers held angry protests in occupied Kashmir on Thursday over the killing of a farmer by paramilitary forces, police and residents said. Bilal Bhat, 28, was shot dead Wednesday by paramilitary police after an argument. One of the paramilitary troopers had been detained as part of investigations, officials said. Protests broke out immediately after Bhat’s killing and continued Thursday. More than 2,500 villagers held a protest march in Pulwama town on Thursday, said a police officer . (Posted @ 13:37 PST)
Conflicting claims over arrest of Taliban spokesman KABUL, Sept 27 (AFP) - The Afghan government announced Thursday it had arrested the Taliban movement's main spokesman, Yousuf Ahmadi, but a man with the same voice as the militants' mouthpiece denied he had been captured. The ministry said Ahmadi was seized with his brother on Wednesday in Helmand province but a man with Ahmadi's voice telephoned AFP on the number that he usually uses to say he had not been captured. A Western diplomat said the interior ministry's report should be treated with caution. “This is pure government propaganda. They say they have arrested me but here I am talking to you. I am free,” Ahmadi said. (Posted @ 13:27 PST)
At least 100 arrested as Myanmar forces disperse protesters YANGON, Sept 27 (AFP) - At least 100 people were arrested and thrown into military trucks as Myanmar soldiers and police ordered thousands of protesters to clear the streets of downtown Yangon on Thursday, witnesses said. The arrests were made as the protesters began marching through the city centre. “Please go back home peacefully,” soldiers shouted into loudspeakers. (First Posted @ 12:15 PST Updated @ 13:23 PST)
Baghdad car bomb kills passerby BAGHDAD, Sept 27(AFP): A car bomb killed a passerby in Baghdad's southeastern Jadida suburb on Thursday, police said. Two people were also wounded in the blast. (Posted @ 12:46 PST)
Two insurgents killed in southern Russia: report MOSCOW, Sept 27(AFP): Russian interior ministry forces have killed two insurgents in an operation in Malgobek district in Ingushetia, a report said on Thursday. In recent months there has been increased unrest in Ingushetia, a mainly Muslim province of less than half a million people. Last week a rare demonstration took place in Ingushetia's largest town by about 200 people alleging state involvement in the earlier disappearance of two brothers. (Posted @ 11:36 PST)
Israeli missile strike kills two Hamas supporters in northern Gaza GAZA CITY, Sept 27(AP): Two Hamas militants were killed in an Israeli air strike early Thursday, bringing the two-day Palestinian death toll in Gaza fighting to 11, hospital officials said. On Wednesday, nine Palestinians were killed by Isareli air strikes. (Posted @ 10:55 PST)
Two Danish soldiers killed in Afghanistan COPENHAGEN, Sept 27(AP): Two Danish soldiers were killed and a third was injured in a gun battle with Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan, Denmark's military said on Thursday. The firefight happened on Wednesday in Upper Geresk Valley in Helmand province, the Army Operational Command said. (Posted @ 10:50 PST)
Fighting in Sri Lanka kills 17 rebels, one soldier COLOMBO, Sept 27(AP): A series of battles between government forces and Tamil Tiger fighters in northern Sri Lanka has killed 17 rebels and one soldier, the Sri Lankan military said on Thursday. (Posted @ 10:03 PST)
Iraq, Afghanistan wars to cost US $190bn in 2008 WASHINGTON, Sept 26(Reuters): The wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will cost at least $190 billion in 2008, the Pentagon said on Wednesday, making it the most expensive year in the conflicts since they were launched by President George W. Bush. Defence Secretary Robert Gates asked Congress to approve the funding. (Posted @ 08:55 PST)
Russian officer killed in Georgia UNITED NATIONS, Sept 26(Reuters): Georgian President Mikhail Saakashvili said a Russian military officer was among two people killed when Georgian security forces clashed with separatists in the breakaway province of south Ossetia on Wednesday. Russian U.N. Ambassador Vitaly Churkin disputed the Georgian version of events, saying Georgian forces had attacked a training exercise in a move aimed at aggravating tensions between Moscow and the former Soviet republic. (Posted @ 08:45 PST)
Karachi Stocks up 58.15, points: KARACHI, Sept 27:At the close of trading the KSE-100 index was at 13328.43 , up 58.15, points. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 13:00 PST)
Forex update: KARACHI, Sept 27: The Pakistani Rupee was traded at Rs 60.7 to the US Dollar in the open market. (Bureau Report) (Updated @ 13:00 PST)
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