Today News From Pakistan

WASHINGTON: Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Friday welcomed a giant US aid package for his country, voicing hope that alleviating poverty would erode support for extremism.

Congress on Wednesday gave the final go-ahead for a five-year, 7.5-billion-dollar package to build schools, roads and democratic institutions in the country.

Qureshi, who is holding talks in Washington next week, voiced appreciation for the package, acknowledging that the United States was allocating the money despite a struggling economy at home.

'This is an expression of commitment to Pakistan and the people of Pakistan because better education, better health, improvement in physical infrastructure will help the people of Pakistan,' he told National Public Radio.

'The Taliban and the extremists have been extracting out of poverty and the misery of people in those areas. Obviously, when they're more enlightened and they're more educated, then they would not join them.'

Qureshi did not deny that many Pakistanis felt bitterness toward the United States, which worked with Pakistan to force the Soviets out of neighboring Afghanistan in the 1980s but then eased its involvement.

'You abandoned us,' he said.

President Barack Obama and congressional leaders say that the aid package is proof of a new US commitment to Pakistan and its people's needs.

links...

LAHORE: A lawyer has filed a petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) seeking directions that President Asif Ali Zardari surrender the office of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman.

Petitioner Asif Mahmood also sought directions for President Zardari to display only the portrait of the Quaid-i-Azam in Presidency instead of slain PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

He said the president was bound under his oath to only display the portrait of the Quaid-i-Azam. He said the holding of a political office by President Zardari was against article 41 (1) of the Constitution.

LADDHA, (South Waziristan): The Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan has named a hitherto unknown militant, Usman Jan, as its new ‘commander’ in place of Qari Tahir Yaldashev, who has reportedly been killed in a drone attack in South Waziristan last month, according to credible sources.

Nevertheless, outlawed militant outfit Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan has categorically denied the killing of Yaldashev in the drone attack.

'Qari Tahir Yaldashev is alive and safe. Reports about his death in a drone attack are baseless,' Qari Hussain, a spokesman for TTP chief Hakimullah Mehsud, told Dawn from an unspecified place on phone on Friday.

Officials, however, insisted that Yaldashev had died of injuries he had received in a drone attack at a house in Kani Garam area of South Waziristan on Aug 27.

They claimed that two missiles fired from the pilotless US plane had also killed four of Yaldashev’s companions.

According to a report prepared by intelligence officials, Yaldashev had lost one leg and one arm in the attack and he was rushed to a private hospital in Zhob district of Balochistan where he died on Oct 1. It is yet not known as to where he was buried.

links....

ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari amended on Friday the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997, extending the period for which an accused or suspected terrorist can be kept in detention or remand by investigating authorities from 15 to 90 days.

'Any person who has been concerned in any offence under this act or against whom a reasonable complaint has been made or credible information has been received, or a reasonable suspicion exists of his having been so concerned, the government may issue order of his preventive detention, for a period not exceeding 90 days, and which shall not be challenged in any court,
for the purposes of inquiry, specifying reasons and grounds thereof,' it said.

The amended act said a person claiming ownership or interest in any property or assets suspected to be terrorist property may file a claim before the court within 15 days after the freezing of an account or taking into possession or control of such property or assets of an accused.

It also envisages stricter checks on running private FM radio channels.

It said inquiry into terrorism cases might be conducted by a police officer not below the rank of inspector or through a joint interrogation team (JIT) to be notified by the government, comprising a police officer not below the rank of inspector and officers of other investigation agencies.
The powers of the inquiry officer will be vested as per Section 5 of the FIA Act.

The JIT will have all the powers relating to search, arrest and seizure of property and material connected with the commission of offence. It shall have all the powers as a police officer has in relation to the investigation of offences under the code or any other law in force.

The amended laws prohibit disposal of a property if during the course of inquiry or investigation, the police officer or the JIT has sufficient evidence to believe that it is the subject matter of the inquiry or investigation.
An amendment said that if any person has in possession, without lawful excuse, any explosive substance with or without explosive devices or has been concerned with such explosive substance and devices, it shall be presumed, unless the contrary is proved, that the explosive substance is for the purpose of terrorism.

'Any person who has been convicted for an offence punishable under this act, if having property or assets, which are disproportionate to his known sources of income, it shall be presumed, unless contrary is proved, that the said property and assets have been acquired through terrorist activities and shall be liable to be forfeited,' it said.

links....