Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday said that Arslan Iftikhar’s case was a conspiracy against the judiciary and called upon the whole nation to stand by the Supreme Court at this critical time. Speaking at a ceremony held to commemorate the third death anniversary of Dr Sarfraz Naeemi at Jamia Naeema, the Punjab CM said that it was a duty of all nation to lend support to the Court, and described Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry as the last hope for justice. He said that he had rejected an offer by President Asif Ali Zardari to withdraw all the cases framed during Pervez Musharraf’s tenure in return for extension of Justice Dogar’s term, adding Raza Rabbani was an eyewitness of this offer. He said Arsalan’s case would be decided by the judges of the Supreme Court. “If judiciary is cornered then Ali Baba and his forty thieves’ gang would occupy the country. Ali Baba and his forty thieves have pushed the country to dark era. Last four year’s period is the darkest era in the history of Pakistan,” he added. About establishment of his office at Minar e Pakistan, he said that it was not like staging a show and those who criticized them should offer a better show, adding that he felt ashamed that yet killers of Srafraz Naeemi were still at large.
Monday, 11 June 2012
Wednesday, 30 May 2012
Iran calls for rallies against Saudi-Bahrain union - AFP
TEHRAN — Iran has called on its people to stage rallies after this week's Friday prayers to protest against what it described as a US plan to annex Bahrain to Saudi Arabia.
The Islamic Propagation Coordination Council, which organises state-backed protests, urged Iranians "to protest against the American plan to annex Bahrain to Saudi Arabia and express their anger against the lackey regimes of Al-Khalifa and Al-Saud."
Leaders of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) discussed on Monday plans to turn the bloc into a union, starting with Saudi Arabia and Bahrain.
"This dangerous plot is the result of the American-Zionist-Britain evil triangle to prevent popular uprisings spreading into other countries of the region and to control the internal crisis in Bahrain which has been caused by the inability of the Al-Khalifa regime to control the situation," the council said on its website.
"Al-Saud and Al-Khalifa should be aware that with this kind of plot they will not stop the popular movement in Bahrain and the movement of Islamic awakening in the region," it added.
The announcement comes after Tehran warned Riyadh's plans to form a union with Manama would deepen the crisis in Bahrain. Saudi Arabia had earlier told Iran to keep out of its relations with the tiny Gulf state.
"Any kind of foreign intervention or non-normative plans without respecting people's vote will only deepen the already existing wounds," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said.
Iranian MPs on Monday condemned the planned union between the two Gulf countries.
"Bahraini and Saudi rulers must understand that this unwise decision will only strengthen the Bahraini people's resolve against the forces of occupation," they said in a letter, referring to the Saudi-led forces.
Bahrain on Tuesday hit out at Iran for interfering in its affairs.
"These statements represent a flagrant interference in the internal affairs of the kingdom and an attack on its sovereignty," the foreign ministry said in a letter of protest handed to the Islamic republic's charge d'affairs, according to BNA state news agency.
Saudi-led Gulf forces rolled into Sunni-ruled Bahrain in March 2011 to boost the kingdom's security forces which a day later crushed month-old, Shiite-dominated protests.
Shiite-dominated Iran has repeatedly voiced support for the protests in Bahrain and strongly condemned the deployment of Saudi-led forces.
The GCC was formed in 1981 as the Sunni-dominated monarchies of the Gulf aimed to bolster security after the 1979 Islamic revolution in Iran that was followed by an eight-year war between Baghdad and Tehran.
The Bahrain issue is sensitive one to Iran, where a nationalist-conservative movement within the Islamic regime still considers the island, controlled by Persia before being colonised by Britain and then to gain independence in 1971, as an Iranian province.
"The right is reserved for the Islamic republic, as patron and heir to the territorial integrity of Iran, to want the return of a separated province to the Islamic homeland," said Hossein Shariatmadari, the director of the hardline Kayhan newspaper.
"The Bahrainis essentially consider themselves to be Iranians and according to some reports they are eager to return to Iran," he added without specifying on which reports.
Copyright © 2012 AFP. All rights reserved. More »Friday, 27 April 2012
Kausar calls for coordinated efforts to protect environment - Pakistan Observer
The Governor awarded degrees to 40 Forestry graduates ie 12 M.Sc and 28 B.Sc courses for session 2009-11 besides decorating position holders with gold and silver medals during an impressive ceremony here at PFI Auditorium. The function was also addressed by Khyber Pakthunkhwa Environment Minister Wajid Ali Khan and Secretary Environment KP/Director General PFI, Said Badshah Bukhari. Speaking on the occasion, the Governor said Pakistan has very limited forest resources despite fertile land and vast mountains ranges and asked PFI to take a lead role in enhancing forests, conservation of wildlife and bio-diversity resources through adaptation of modern techniques and quality research work imperative for the socio-economic development of people.
The Governor said great responsibilities lied on forestry graduates to utilize their energies in meeting the challenges of conservation for forest resources and its rational utilization for benefits of present and future generation. In fact, the Government said special focus should be made on conducting extensive afforstration in rural and mountainous areas by involving all segments of the society to bring maximum areas under plantation and vegetative cover. To offsets the effects of desertification, global warming and climatic change, he said, focus should be made on plantation especially in rural and mountainous areas to make Pakistan lush green, adding Khyber Pakthunkhwa is very rich in mountains and have vast plains that needed to be fully taped.
The Governor said that forestry graduates can play a vital role by creating awareness and educating public about importance of forests and its impact on environment. He said Islam also emphasizes on acquire of education and conducting research work. ?We have rich culture, tradition, customs as the land of Khyber Pakthunkhwa is very fertile in producing renowned doctors, engineers, lawyers, educationalists and environmentalists, who had shown their mettle in and outside the country and underlined the need of producing graduates of highest integrity and par excellence to shoulder future?s responsibilities The Governor said the government was giving top focus on promotion of education especially women education to take full advantage of talents of women folk, adding equal opportunities to male and female have been provided to get quality education in fields of their interests in line with vision of Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Shaheed and ANP leader Khan Abdul Wali Khan.
The Governor hope that girls would also prove their worth as they did in others disciplines in the tough field of forestry. In his address, the Minister for Environment Wajid Ali Khan said the issues of global warming, desertification and climatic changes was posting serious threats to global environment and it could only be combated through joint and coordinated efforts and better linkages among forests institutes of the world and enhanced connectivity.