Long March and Dharna Schedule

According to announcement made in the judiciary restoration conference here, lawyers’ long march will begin simultaneously from Quetta and Karachi on March 12 and will reach Sukkar in evening. The caravan of lawyers will go to Lahore from Multan on March 14.

 The long march will leave for Lahore from Rawalpindi on March 15 which is expected to reach Islamabad on March 16. The participants of long march will start staging sit-in on Constitution Avenue for indefinite period of time at noon.

Earlier, addressing the conference former President of Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan said the peaceful long march would not let the national leadership down. He said Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto also promised to restore the deposed judges.

The lawyers want the reappointment of a former Supreme Court chief, the independent-minded Iftikhar Chaudhry, who former army chief and president Pervez Musharraf dismissed in 2007.

But top lawyer and protest organiser Aitzaz Ahsan, a prominent member of Zardari's party, said the president could end the protest, and pave the way for a flood of investment, by keeping his promises to reinstate Chaudhry.

"Iftikhar Chaudhry's reinstatement can open the flood gates to private investment," Ahsan told Reuters in an interview on Monday. "Private investment goes only to countries where the judiciary is independent."

 I know the world is under a deep recession but as and when the wheels start turning, that's the only recipe we have for attracting investment in a country that is bedevilled with so many problems,"

The objective is not to oust the government or derail democracy, it is just to get our liberal, progressive, modernist judges back" Aithezaz Said.

Lahore attack...Governor raj...

At least a dozen men ambushed Sri Lanka's cricket team with rifles, grenades and rocket launchers Tuesday as they drove to the stadium ahead of a match in Pakistan, kiling six policemen and a driver.

The attackers struck as a convoy carrying the squad and match officials reached a traffic circle 100 yards (meters) from the main sports stadium in the eastern city of Lahore, triggering a 15-minute gunbattle with police guarding the vehicles.

Seven players, an umpire and a coach were wounded, none with life-threatening injuries.

The assault was one of the worst terrorist attacks on a sports team since Palestinian militants killed 11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics.

The attackers melted away into the city, and none was killed or captured, city police chief Haji Habibur Rehman said. Authorities did not speculate on the identities of the attackers or their motives, but the chief suspects will be Islamist militants, some with links to al-Qaida, who have staged high-profile attacks on civilian targets before.

Before governor’s rule, Asif was asked to sack Taseer ...Rauf Clasra

Asif Ali Zardari was advised by four federal ministers on the night governor’s rule was imposed in Punjab to sack Governor Salman Taseer to send a positive message to the Sharif brothers after their disqualification by the Supreme Court.

At a cabinet meeting, held a day later and chaired by Prime Minister Syed Yusuf Raza Gilani, a serious allegation was heard that one lawyer — fighting Nawaz Sharif’s eligibility case in the Supreme Court — was quietly paid a sum of Rs5.5 million by a bank for unknown services.

It was confirmed to The News that before the imposition of governor’s rule in Punjab, a secret meeting took place among Salman Taseer, Law Minister Farooq H Naek and retired judge Malik Qayyum at the Governor House in Lahore. It was this meeting that sealed the Sharif brothers’ fate.

A well-placed source confided to this correspondent that a shouting match took place at the cabinet meeting that was called to discuss the imposition of governor’s rule and endorse President Zardari’s decision on installing a PPP government in Punjab.

Several federal ministers reportedly exchanged harsh words so much so that Prime Minister Gilani was seen helplessly watching his raucous ministers settling their scores and having no idea how to placate them.

One insider claimed that President Zardari, during his visit to China, had told the prime minister to meet Shahbaz Sharif to bring the situation under control. Zardari called for the fence-mending talks after he was informed of the secret meeting held at the Governor’s House.

But one source defended the president and claimed that Zardari did not have any idea about the verdict of the apex court against the Sharifs. However, a PML-N leader rejected the view, saying, his party believed that the president knew full well what was going to happen.

As the president came to know of the Supreme Court ruling, he immediately called his close aides in the cabinet and started discussing the issue before making up his mind what to do in Punjab. The meeting, minus the prime minister, was attended by all the top leaders of the PPP.

 A, RA and KS, according to sources, opined that governor’s rule should not be imposed, because it would send negative signals. However, some others like HSK, MW, AW and RA suggested that if governor’s rule was to be imposed, Salman Taseer should also be replaced to help the federal government save its face.

At one stage, Zardari appeared serious about removing Salman Taseer while declaring governor’s rule. However, before someone could propose any name for the new governor, FN, LK, AM and SR strongly backed the continuation of Salman Taseer in office. They argued that he was an experienced man, knew the whole system in Punjab and was thus in a better position to handle the dangerous situation resulting from the imposition of governor’s rule. It was further argued that if a new man was brought in, he would not deliver at all.

When Zardari realised the mismatch of perceptions on governor’s rule, he asked for a consensus on the issue before he took a final decision. Ultimately, the hawkish elements prevailed, with others deciding to accept the majority opinion. As a result, all agreed on imposing governor’s rule in Punjab without replacing Taseer.

Once the decision was made, the prime minister also joined the meeting. As Gilani came to know about the participants’ intentions, the sources revealed, he was in a state of shock and tried to oppose the move. Gilani feared that it would lead to a serious trouble, but he was overruled by the majority. When the premier felt that he was not in position to convince them, he decided to fall in line.

Naek and Khosa were later assigned with preparations for governor’s rule. Both returned to the meeting with the observation that the prime minister’s advice was required before governor’s rule was declared. Gilani was asked to send a recommendation to the president, which was done within minutes.

Supporters of the unpopular step kept telling Zardari that he did not need to be confused, as it was not for the first time that governor’s rule was being imposed. Several precedents justifying the step were already there, they maintained.

Zardari was reminded of Nawaz Sharif’s orders placing Sindh were under a similar arrangement when Mamoon Hussain was made governor after sacking of the Liaquat Ali Jatoi government. Likewise, Manzoor Wattoo also did his bit to goad the president into action and recalled governor’s rule imposed in Punjab in the mid-90s. As tension between the Centre and the province was at its peak, Wattoo called the shots with the help of only 17 legislators.

At the meeting, an insider disclosed, the prime minister insisted that the Punjab chief secretary and IGP should be of his choice, a demand that was readily met to make him feel relaxed. But the tension among the participants during consultations at the Presidency also surfaced in the cabinet meeting the next day when Rabbani and Naek clashed and traded shouts in the presence of Gilani.

 ne source said that the shouting match started when Raza Rabbani — discussing the governor’s rule issue — was snubbed by Farooq Naek, who warned cabinet members against taking up the question. Naek tried to prevent all from commenting on the verdict of the Supreme Court, as he claimed it was against the law.

 ut Rabbani challenged his assertion, saying that the cabinet could confer on the issue. At this stage, Prime Minister Gilani sought the opinion of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Dr Babar Awan, who also backed Rabbani’s view. After the judgment, Awan observed, fair comments could be passed on it.

This further infuriated the law minister, who tried to confront his dissenting cabinet colleagues — many of them blaming him for having a close relationship with Malik Qayyum, who had sealed the fate of Zardari and Benazir Bhutto to please the Sharif brothers.

The sources reiterated that the largest cabinet in Pakistan’s parliamentary history was sharply divided on governor’s rule, with many slamming it as a bad move by the party leadership and warning that it would trigger chaos in the days to come. Some of them were in favour of lifting governor’s rule and letting the PML-N bringing in a new chief minister.

It is learnt the cabinet members were heard asking how one of Nawaz Sharif’s lawyers got Rs5.5 million from a bank. But no one came up with a reply.

Chaos and Collapse ----Mumtaz Ali Bhutto

Mind boggling bungling, among other more heinous faults, has come to be the identifying characteristic of the Zardari government. From the inept way administrative matters are handled to the fact that Zardari can not open his mouth without something startling pouring out of it, one gets an overwhelming sense of incompetence all around. Not only the task of governance, but even that of running a party like the Peoples’ Party has proved to be far beyond the capabilities of the accidental Co-Chairman, who sneaked into power not on his own merits or public acclaim but on a tidal wave of emotions and subservience of those who were salivating at the prospect of memberships of assemblies, ministerships and all the other joys associated with winning an election in the current dispensation. All too soon, the whole set up has exploded and, as pointed out at the start, the lack of calibre and qualification of those who have occupied high offices has become starkly evident. It must be remembered that it was more or less this lot which twice before formed governments but were unable to run them even though Shaheed Benazir held the reins. They have landed the country in serious trouble internally and externally, such as bringing it to the brink of war with India by grossly mishandling the Bombay tragedy and reducing the much trumpeted reconciliation to a joke by violating all commitments. This government basically came into being through a deal with Musharaf and under protection of the cursed NRO. In return, the government does not only maintain him in presidential style, but also follows in his footsteps. The greatest letdown, however, has been in keeping the promise of roti, kapra makan to the people and freeing them from the curse of corruption, lawlessness, high cost of essential commodities and lack of basic amenities. The lure of jobs and handouts under the Benazir Income Support Scheme has proved to be a pipe dream and gone sour. The net result is that within a short period of nine months the government and the Peoples’ Party are not only in a chaotic state of disarray and collapse, but also the object of public discontent, which has manifest itself in a recent poll by placing Zardari’s popularity at nineteen percent. So much so that ministers and party office holders are unable to venture even into gatherings of party workers without risking harm and their leader can not step out despite the security provided by thousands of protectors at very high cost to the people.

On Benazir’s first death anniversary, it was announced that there would be a public meeting at Garhi Khuda Buksh Bhutto, addressed by Zardari. Later, this was cancelled due to security concerns. Then it was on again and Zardari was to address it by telephone from Naodero, a mile away. But on the morning of the anniversary, it was once again announced that the public meeting was off for the same security reasons, much to the anger of those who had been herded from across the country to be there. It is shocking that a man who professes to be a democrat and a leader of the masses, guarded by 9,000 policemen, 7,000 rangers and hundreds of commandos on this occasion, did not feel safe among the people in, of all places, Garhi Khuda Buksh Bhutto, the geographic epicenter of the Peoples’ Party’s.

While lack of any progress in apprehending and punishing Benazir’s assassins, indeed the failure to file an FIR even a year after the murder, falls like a yoke on the government’s neck, in his address to a small gathering of party office holders in Naodero, Zardari confessed that he knew the identity of the killers. This being so, the inexplicable twelve month delay in action against them is unpardonable and the façade of approaching the United Nations, at the potential cost of hundreds of millions of dollars for just an inquiry, nothing more than an escape. Knowing the identity of the killers yet allowing them to go free not only casts doubt on Zardari’s motives but also implicates him under section 216 of the Penal Code, thereby bringing Benazir’s murder at par with that of Mir Murtaza Bhutto.

Zardari And Musharraf Congrates Iltaf Over Karachi's Rally?

  Asif Ali Zardari and his predecessor Pervez Musharraf on Monday praised MQM chief Altaf Hussain for organizing a successful rally in Karachi against desecration of Benazir Bhutto’s memorial.

They phoned Altaf Hussain and thanked him on his positive initiative for reconciliation process in the country.
It means That U are Same......