Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Sindh High Court stops CPNE former office-bearers from using bank account

Ilyas Shakir
Editor Qaumi Akhbar
A two-member Sindh High Court (SHC) bench headed by Chief Justice Musheer Alam with Justice Hasan Azhar Rizvi as the other member has restrained the former office-bearers of CPNE (Khushnood Group) from using the CPNE accounts. The learned court passed the interim order on a constitutional petition filed by Ilyas Shakir, editor Qaumi Akhbar and secretary general CPNE.

In his petition Ilyas Shakir has submitted that he is one of the elected office-bearers of CPNE but the former office-bearers still occupy the premises of the registered office of CPNE. The petitioner prayed to the court to appoint a Nazir who should take possession of the office. He further prayed that order be passed for fresh elections to be held under the supervision of Nazir so that genuine and elected office-bearers could run the CPNE affairs.

The SHC has called for reply from the respondents on 26 May, 2011. The learned court has also summoned Advocate General Sindh and Deputy Attorney General on the date.(The News)

Saturday, May 7, 2011

Abbottabad incident: Corps Commanders’ Conference held at GHQ

138th Corps Commanders’ Conference was held today at General Headquarters Rawalpindi. General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) chaired the meeting.

One point agenda was the Abbottabad incident in which Osama Bin Laden was killed by US forces. The Forum discussed the incident and its implications and on military to military relations with the United States.
Chief of Army Staff, General Ashfaq Parvez Kayani presiding over the 138th Corps Commanders’ Conference  held  at General Headquarters Rawalpindi on Thursday. (5-5-2011) - Photo ISPR

While admitting own shortcomings in developing intelligence on the presence of Osama Bin Laden in Pakistan, it was highlighted that the achievements of Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), against Al Qaeda and its terrorist affiliates in Pakistan, have no parallel. The Forum was informed that around 100 top level Al Qaeda leaders / operators were killed / arrested by ISI, with or without support of CIA. However, in the case of Osama Bin Laden, while the CIA developed intelligence based on initial information provided by ISI, it did not share further development of intelligence on the case with ISI, contrary to the existing practice between the two services. Nonetheless, an investigation has been ordered into the circumstances that led to this situation.

COAS made it very clear that any similar action, violating the sovereignty of Pakistan, will warrant a review on the level of military / intelligence cooperation with the United States.

The Corps Commanders were informed about the decision to reduce the strength of US military personnel in Pakistan to the minimum essential.

As regards the possibility of similar hostile action against our strategic assets, the Forum reaffirmed that, unlike an undefended civilian compound, our strategic assets are well protected and an elaborate defensive mechanism is in place.

The Forum, taking serious note of the assertions made by Indian military leadership about conducting similar operations, made it very clear that any misadventure of this kind will be responded to very strongly. There should be no doubt about it.

The Forum reiterated the resolve to defend the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Pakistan and to fight the menace of terrorism, with the support and help of the people of Pakistan.