PAKISTAN – Page 25 – OVERSEAS TRIBUNE

Benazir murder case: ATC acquits 5 accused, declares Musharraf an absconder

August 31, 2017August 31, 2017 News Desk

An anti-terrorism court (ATC) in Rawalpindi announced the verdict in the Benazir Bhutto murder case on Thursday, acquitting five Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) suspects and announcing 17-year imprisonment for two police officials. The ATC also declared retired Gen Pervez Musharraf an absconder in the case. The ATC had named Musharraf in the case in February 2011. Saud Aziz, who was police chief of Rawalpindi when Bhutto was assassinated in 2007, and Khurram Shahzad, a former Superintendent of Police (SP) at Rawal Town, were each awarded 17 years in prison. The two, who were…

‘Peanuts, not billions of dollars’: Nisar assails Trump’s claims of aid for Pakistan

August 30, 2017August 30, 2017 News Desk

Former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan on Wednesday lambasted the strategy announced by US President Donald Trump for Afghanistan and South Asia, saying Pakistan was not responsible for the failure of US and its allies in Afghanistan. Nisar also ridiculed Trump’s claim that the US has paid “billions and billions of dollars” to Pakistan, calling on the Pakistani government to put on the table the record of past 20 years to expose American claims. “It’s not billions of dollars, it is peanuts,” the former interior minister said while speaking in the…

LNG is the only solution to Pakistan’s energy crisis: PM Abbasi

August 28, 2017August 28, 2017 News Desk

Inaugurating the second Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal at Karachi’s Port Qasim on Sunday, Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said that LNG was the only solution to Pakistan’s energy crisis. “If you don’t add more gas into the system, you cannot fight the energy crisis,” he insisted, adding that other methods to produce energy are either too expensive or too slow. Talking about the challenges faced during the project, the prime minister said that many people had questioned it [the project] when it started but “Port Qasim came through” and…

US aware of Afghan Taliban’s presence in Peshawar and Quetta: Gen John Nicholson

August 28, 2017August 28, 2017 News Desk

Gen John Nicholson, the top United States commander in Afghanistan, claimed on Saturday that the US was aware of Afghan Taliban leadership’s presence in Peshawar and Quetta, adding that the military would continue to put pressure on Taliban sanctuaries inside and outside Afghanistan. In an exclusive interview with Tolo News, the top commander John Nicholson, discussed US President Donald Trump’s recent speech in which he revealed his long-awaited policy on the Afghan war. Trump, in his first address as the commander-in-chief, called for greater troop deployment and Indian involvement in Afghanistan while lambasting…

Senate passes ‘historic’ Right of Access to Information Bill

August 23, 2017August 23, 2017 News Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Senate unanimously passed on Tuesday the much-demanded access to information bill, which grants citizens complete access to the record of public authorities. The landmark legislation is expected to make the government more accountable regarding corruption and inefficiency, besides ensuring good governance, sound economy and the respect for human rights. However, under the ‘Right of Access to Information Bill 2017’ there will be no access to the official record of armed forces, defence installations, details of individuals’ bank accounts, defence and national security. But information regarding defence-related commercial and…

Kulsoom Nawaz diagnosed with throat cancer: reports

August 22, 2017August 22, 2017 News Desk

Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s wife, has reportedly been diagnosed with throat cancer, a high-level PML-N source said on Tuesday. A senior PML-N party leader close to the Sharif family confirmed to Dawn that the cancer had been detected in London where Begum Kulsoom was undergoing medical checkups. The PML-N source speaking to Dawn said that she was likely to opt for chemotheraphy instead of surgery. However, he added, this is an initial diagnosis and further information will be made available as more tests are conducted. Geo News on Tuesday also reported that Begum…

After Trump’s Afghan policy statement, China reaffirms support to Pakistan

August 22, 2017 News Desk

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday reaffirmed Beijing’s support to Pakistan during a meeting with Foreign Secretary Tehmina Janjua hours after US President Donald Trump lambasted Pakistan for allegedly offering safe haven to “agents of chaos” in his South Asia policy announcement. Earlier, as Beijing came to Islamabad’s defence in light of Trump’s remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying asserted that Pakistan was on the front line in the struggle against terrorism and had made “great sacrifices” and “important contributions” in the fight, according to a Foreign Ministry handout. Chunying called on…

Court can order military to arrest Nawaz and his family, warns Khursheed Shah

August 21, 2017August 21, 2017 News Desk

Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Khursheed Shah has said that court has the right to exercise Article 190 over non-compliance, asking the military to arrest former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and his family members. “Nawaz Sharif is playing a very dangerous game as him and his family members are not appearing before the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) despite being summoned,” Shah told reporters in Islamabad on Monday, Express News reported. If this continues to happen, the National Accountability Bureau can issue warrants to arrest the Sharif family, Shah said, adding that court…

NBP president appears before NAB team investigating Sharifs’ London flats, Dar’s assets

August 21, 2017August 21, 2017 News Desk

National Bank of Pakistan (NBP) President Saeed Ahmed appeared before the National Accountability Bureau’s (NAB) investigation team in Lahore on Monday to record his statement in the ongoing references against Ishaq Dar’s assets and the Sharifs’ Avenfield properties in London, DawnNews reported. According to bureau sources privy to the matter, a team headed by DG NAB Lahore is carrying out the investigation. Earlier, Ahmed had informed the Supreme Court-appointed Joint Investigation Team (JIT) that he had no knowledge of any account linked with the alleged money laundering. Dar had told the JIT…

‘Nawaz to appoint Shahbaz as PML-N president on Sept 7’

August 21, 2017August 21, 2017 News Desk

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif will be appointed as the president of the ruling PML-N next month, according to sources close to the party. A meeting was held between Nawaz Sharif — who was disqualified after the Panamagate verdict last month from continuing as prime minister of Pakistan and consequently, the head of PML-N — and Shahbaz on Monday at the former’s Model Town residence in Lahore. During the meeting, Nawaz took Shahbaz into confidence regarding his appointment as PML-N president, said party insiders. An announcement to this effect is expected on…

7 police officers kidnapped in Rajanpur by gang members: police

August 20, 2017 News Desk

Seven police officers were kidnapped in Rajanpur’s Rojhan tehsil on Sunday morning allegedly by dacoits with ties to the Attaullah Pat gang. Deputy Superintendent Police (DSP) Bangla Ichha Ramiz Bokhari said the police officers were on boat patrol in the riverine area when they were picked up by gang members who are believed to have hidden in the sugarcane fields surrounding the area. An assistant sub-inspector of the Bangla Iccha police station is among those kidnapped. DSP Rojhan Buzdar told Dawn that search operations are being conducted in the riverine area of…

Nisar set to expose PML-N ‘infighting’

August 20, 2017August 20, 2017 News Desk

ISLAMABAD: Estranged Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) stalwart Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan is set to further embarrass his party leaders at a press conference today (Sunday), where he is expected to spill the beans on critical national issues and matters associated with his role as the country’s interior minister. His spokesperson’s announcement that the former interior minister would address a presser at Islamabad’s Punjab House on Sunday came the same day newspapers reported a spat between former information minister Pervaiz Rashid and the erstwhile senior minister. Mr Rashid had indirectly criticised…

Nisar sees red as Pervaiz Rashid reflects on interior ministry’s ‘failings’

August 19, 2017August 20, 2017 News Desk

KARACHI: A somewhat veiled criticism by senior Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz politician Pervaiz Rashid of former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan caused the latter to hit back, saying he did not know why “some people have put the burden of all their mistakes and blunders on the ministry of interior and the establishment”. In a TV interview, the first salvo was fired by Mr Rashid who sounded a little upset with the fellow Pindiite, Chaudhry Nisar, on what the interior ministry could and could not have done during Nawaz Sharif’s third…

Not the only one responsible for confrontation between institutions, Nawaz says

August 17, 2017August 17, 2017 News Desk

I am not the only one responsible for preventing a confrontation between institutions, former prime minister Nawaz Sharif said during an interview with BBC Urdu which aired Thursday. Answering a question about worsening relations between different institutions of the state, Sharif said that he was not in favour of taking a collision course but it was everyone’s responsibility to ensure that the need does not arise. His clarification came amidst mounting criticism from opponents that he has been riling up his loyalists against state institutions after his ouster by the Supreme Court.…

Imran Khan lied on Bank of Khyber issue, claims estranged PTI MPA

August 15, 2017August 15, 2017 News Desk

PESHAWAR: Disgruntled Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker Ziaullah Afridi claimed on Tuesday that party chief Imran Khan had lied to the public in his Liaquat Bagh rally speech about the issue of illegal appointments in the Bank of Khyber. He added that the PTI chief was trying to protect Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) CM Pervaiz Khattak who was involved in illegal hiring at the bank. He maintained that Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chief Sirajul Haq also illegally appointed bank employees when he was the K-P finance minister. “PTI Chairman Imran Khan lied to the people at his Liaquat Bagh rally. I challenge him and Sirajul Haq to a…