One senior military officer, who said he was speaking in a purely personal capacity, said there was no appetite in the military to repeat the coups seen in Pakistan's past, but added the stand-off could be resolved if the army played a role in the formation of a caretaker government as a "moderator".
"We should try as far as possible to abide by the constitution and law in looking for change. The army chief has made this clear," the officer told Reuters.
"But things seem to be moving beyond control," the officer added. "It is totally incorrect to say the army is behind Qadri. But if he brings thousands of people to the streets and things get worse, there may be very few options."
ktnew - 18thjan 2013 FULL by shozib
ktnew - 18thjan 2013 FULL by shozib
Ayatollah Aqeel-ul-Gharavi In the village of Qila Bhattian Wala, nestled in wheat fields, Shia Muslims know nothing of the record levels of violence suffered by their community elsewhere in Pakistan. Here 3,000 villagers live in harmony with their Sunni neighbours. They worship at the same mosque, guard each others' religious processions, grow up together, intermarry and live in peace without fear or retribution. “I've witnessed this Shia-Sunni brotherhood from my childhood, you can say from the day I was born,” says Mohammad Bashir, an 80-year-old farmer in the village, 130 miles (208 kilometres) southeast of the capital Islamabad. “We are all Muslims and creatures of one Allah,” he added. On Friday afternoons, Shia and Sunni clerics perform the call to prayer from the same, small mosque with marble flooring. One after the other, Shias and Sunnis make their ablutions and enter the mosque to worship. “Islam is a religion of peace, so we never say a word in our sermons which can create trouble for others,” said Maulana Zille Hasnain, a Shia prayer leader.Tue, Jan 15 10:28 AM EST 1 of 10 By Mehreen Zahra-Malik and Katharine Houreld ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan's Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the prime minister on Tuesday on corruption allegations, ratcheting up pressure on a government that is also facing street protests led by a cleric who has a history of ties to the army. The combination of the arrest order and the mass protest in the capital Islamabad led by Muslim cleric Muhammad Tahirul Qadri raised fears among politicians that the military was working with the judiciary to force out a civilian leader. "There is no doubt that Qadri's march and the Supreme Court's verdict were masterminded by the military establishment of Pakistan," Fawad Chaudhry, an aide to Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, told Reuters. "The military can intervene at this moment as the Supreme Court has opened a way for it." However, the ruling coalition led by the Pakistan Peoples' Party (PPP) has a majority in parliament and lawmakers can simply elect another prime minister if Ashraf is ousted. In June, Ashraf replaced Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani, who was disqualified by the Supreme Court in a previous showdown between the government and the judiciary. Also, elections are due in a few months and President Asif Ali Zardari hopes to lead the first civilian government in Pakistan's 65 years as an independent nation that will complete its full term. But power struggles will distract the unpopular government from tackling an array of problems - a Taliban insurgency, economic stagnation and growing sectarian tensions triggered by bomb attacks and tit-for-tat shootings. The military, which sees itself as the guarantor of Pakistan's stability, has long regarded the PPP-led government as corrupt, incompetent and unable to prevent the nuclear-armed country from falling apart. Pakistan's powerful army has a long history of coups and intervening in politics. But these days generals seem to have little appetite for a coup. Army chief General Ashfaq Kayani has vowed to keep the military out of politics. But many believe top military leaders still try to exert behind-the-scenes influence, and any moves by the military in the latest crisis could not happen without a green light from Kayani, arguably the most powerful man in Pakistan. "Extra-constitutional regime change, or "outside of the political calendar" if you will, is only possible in Pakistan with the tacit nod of the military, on account of it being a long-time stakeholder in Pakistani politics," said Shamila Chaudhry, an analyst at Eurasia Group. "The Qadri march was like a trial balloon. The military indirectly sent it out to see if it would work." Some politicians believe the military will try to dominate the caretaker administration that will oversee the run-up to the polls after parliament is dissolved, which is due to happen in March. An election date has yet to be announced. The protest by Qadri and his followers has also been seen by commentators as being orchestrated by the military to add to the pressure on Zardari's government, although the military has denied any ties to the cleric. PEOPLE'S MONEY Thousands of followers of the populist cleric camped near the federal parliament cheered and waved Pakistani flags as television channels broadcast news of the Supreme Court's order to arrest Ashraf on charges of corruption. "We don't want any of those old politicians. They just take all the people's money," said 19-year-old student Mohammed Wasim. "We congratulate the whole nation (on the Supreme Court's order). Now we have to take the rest of the thieves to court." Government officials said they were baffled by the arrest order, which came hours after Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry said elections should go ahead as scheduled. "This was totally unexpected," an official in Ashraf's office told Reuters. "The prime minister and two or three of his friends were watching Qadri speak on television and this suddenly happened." Pakistan's stock exchange fell by more than 500 points, or nearly three percent, on news of the court order, due to fears over fresh political turmoil, which comes against a backdrop of militant bombings and tension on the border with India. Qadri, who played a role in backing a military coup in 1999, threatened to remain camped out near the federal parliament with thousands of supporters until his demands for the resignation of the government were met. The fiery orator returned home from Canada less than a month ago to lead a call for electoral reforms to bar corrupt politicians from office that has made him an instant hit among Pakistanis disillusioned with the state. In a speech from behind a bullet-proof shield in front of parliament, Qadri praised the military and the judiciary, the country's two other power centers. "(The government) has wasted and brought a bad end to our armed forces, those armed forces who are highly sincere, highly competent and highly capable and highly professional," he said, alternating between Urdu and English. "Even they can't do anything because the political government isn't able to deliver anything from this land. Judgments are being passed by our great, independent judiciary but the government is not ready to implement them." Qadri is demanding that the government dissolve the legislature and announce the formation of a caretaker government to oversee the run-up to elections. One senior military officer, who said he was speaking in a purely personal capacity, said there was no appetite in the military to repeat the coups seen in Pakistan's past, but added the stand-off could be resolved if the army played a role in the formation of a caretaker government as a "moderator". "We should try as far as possible to abide by the constitution and law in looking for change. The army chief has made this clear," the officer told Reuters. "But things seem to be moving beyond control," the officer added. "It is totally incorrect to say the army is behind Qadri. But if he brings thousands of people to the streets and things get worse, there may be very few options." ================= Military, Supreme Court working together against govt: PPP leader By Web Desk / Rabia Ali / Sohail Khattak / Reuters Published: January 15, 2013 A file photo of prime minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf during a parade. PHOTO: REUTERS/FILE KARACHI: Fawad Chaudhry – aide to Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf – said on Tuesday there was “no doubt” the country’s powerful military and Supreme Court were working together to topple the government. Chaudhry was speaking to Reuters after the Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Ashraf in the Rental Power Plants case. PM Ashraf – popularly known as Raja Rental – was accused of receiving kickbacks in the rental power projects and of buying property in London from the money earned through corruption in various scams. The Express Tribune approached stakeholders for their comments on this recent development. Awami National Party “It’s an order from the highest court and will be obeyed but our [government’s] legal advisors are trying to find if Ashraf enjoys immunity in this case,” ANP Senator Haji Muhammad Adeel told The Express Tribune. Expressing doubts over the timing of the court order and Tahirul Qadri’s long march, Adeel said he fails to understand why SC decided to issue the verdict now when the country is experiencing political turbulence. Pakistan Peoples Party While speaking to Express News, PPP leader Aitzaz Ahsan said Ashraf will remain the prime minster even if he is imprisoned. “Ashraf will be the premier until a no-trust motion is moved against him,” he said. Muttahida Qaumi Movement MQM leader Wasay Jalil said it is premature to comment on the issue as they don’t have details apart from what has been broadcast. Jalil also said they have not received any formal invite for the allies meeting scheduled to be held in Karachi today. Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Threats to democratic process have escalated after the Supreme Court’s order, said the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). “It is difficult to measure the misfortune of the people of Pakistan; on the one hand, we are still burying the Quetta blast victims and pondering over its consequences, while on the other hand Qadri has been haranguing an audience with double talk and lies,” HRCP said in a statement. Refusing to comment on the merits of the rental power plant case, HRCP said it believes the attempts to regulate politics through judicial hustling have never been fruitful anywhere in the world. “If nothing else, the judiciary has to weigh the consequences of its decisions on the state whose interest it is supposed to safeguard,” the statement said. ================ Rental power case: SC orders arrest of PM Ashraf By Web Desk / AFP Published: January 15, 2013 Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf in the Rental Power Plants case on Tuesday, reported Express News. The court also ordered all other respondents in the case to be arrested, and gave 24 hours deadline to the authorities to implement the orders. The court maintained that National Accountability Bureau (NAB) will be responsible if any of the respondents manage to escape. “The chief justice ordered that all concerned, regardless of their rank, who have been booked in the case be arrested and if someone leaves the country, then chairman of NAB will be held responsible along with his investigating team,” lawyer Aamir Abbas told AFP. “The sixteen include Raja Ashraf,” said Abbas, adding that Ashraf had not been referred to by name by Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry. Abbas, who represents NAB, said the defendants had been ordered to appear before the Supreme Court on Thursday. In Pakistan’s financial capital, the Karachi Stock Exchange fell sharply as reports of the order flashed across local television news channels. The KSE 100 index lost 453.46 points, or 2.74 per cent, in little over half an hour, to stand at 16,633.18 just before 3:00pm– 559.74 points down on opening. The Supreme Court’s order came at a time when Minhajul Quran International (MQI) chief Tahirul Qadri was leading a long march in Islamabad to demand electoral reforms. Participants of the march were seen celebrating while chanting “Long Live Supreme Court” when Qadri mentioned the court’s decision during his speech. PM Ashraf was given the title of Raja Rental after he was accused of receiving kickbacks in the rental power projects. He was also accused of buying property in London from money earned through corruption in various scams. He has been defending himself in the Supreme Court. On March 30, the apex court had directed the National Accountability Bureau to proceed against those who were in the post of minister for water and power from 2006 till the next general elections. As a result, on April 20, NAB issued arrest warrants for 33 persons, including Ashraf. Case background Earlier last year, the court directed NAB to proceed against all government functionaries involved, including the ministers for water and power during whose tenure the RPPs were approved or set up, and the minister and finance secretary holding charge when down payment for RPPs was increased from 7% to 14%. Liaquat Jatoi and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf were water and power ministers in 2006 and 2008, respectively, while Shaukat Tareen was the finance minister in 2008, when down payment was increased. Of the 19 RPP deals signed initially, only nine were allowed to function after a damning Asian Development Bank evaluation report. Subsequently, six of those nine RPPs were discontinued. ============== A mad, mad world By Editorial Published: January 16, 2013 Minhajul Quran International chief Tahirul Qadri addressing the people on Tuesday evening in Islamabad. PHOTO: ZAFAR ASLAM/EXPRESS The Dr Tahirul Qadri ‘revolution’ seems to be continuing. As of now, the future looks uncertain. The 11:00am January 15 ‘deadline’, given for assemblies to be dissolved, a caretaker set-up established and kept in place till sweeping reforms were introduced and the electoral system changed, came and went with nothing significant taking place in Islamabad. The government, after a meeting — rejected the demands as the deadline approached, terming them ‘unconstitutional’, as they undoubtedly were. A few minor skirmishes between Dr Qadri’s assembled band and security forces took place as Dr Qadri asked his supporters to stay in Islamabad. As events continue to unfold, there is no saying what will happen next over the coming few hours, or the coming days. What truly ruffled the leaves and sent a storm sweeping around Islamabad and the rest of the country came right in the midst of Dr Qadri’s address, as the Supreme Court (SC) unexpectedly announced orders for the arrest of the prime minister (PM) within 24 hours, in the Rental Power Project case. This decision suddenly raised the temperature close to boiling point, with uncertainty mounting and the Karachi Stock Exchange closing 500 points lower. Conjecture continues, so do meetings of the top parties. Many things are up in the air with questions being asked about the timing of the SC verdict, as well as its significance. While legal experts hold that Raja Pervaiz Ashraf technically remains PM, as he has not been convicted, the prospect of a sitting PM’s arrest, possibly from his office, dominates minds. Dr Qadri’s enthusiastic, indeed euphoric, response to the Court verdict also brings comment. It is impossible to say if the two events are linked; some continue to argue they are not — though Dr Qadri’s reaction certainly did not suggest this. Nor did his ominous warning that the ‘rest’ would happen soon; none of this is comforting. Are strings being pulled from somewhere? Will other events follow? Regardless of where the truth lies, the convergence of all these matters has undoubtedly created a crisis. Just the degree of questioning over what will happen next further adds to uncertainty. Such a situation is not healthy for our nation or our democracy. Our history of interventions from forces, which should not play a part in governance, adds to the ongoing debates and arguments. We can only hope things will settle down and that normalcy will return. But the fears being expressed are disturbing — even though they build on the people’s desperate need for change. This brings us back to Dr Qadri. The demands put forward by him are, to put it mildly, bizarre: A long-term interim government, just ahead of a scheduled poll when people can make their own decisions about the present set-up, makes no sense. Nor does the call for reform; in a democracy this should by right come through parliament. In this context, the comparisons made by Dr Qadri to the uprisings against dictatorships in the Middle East make little sense. Where we stand can change through the ballot, which lies just around the corner. A key question, still is, why Dr Qadri chose to make his move. While all major parties backed away, the MQM remains somewhat ambiguous, with Altaf Hussain again backing his demands on January 14. The suspicions remain that a ‘pro-Establishment’ force backed Dr Qadri. The events of January 15 support this theory. Many suspect this. And while no revolution has come, the long march has focused attention on the disgruntlement of people with years of misgovernance. Corruption has been a focus and the fact that many, not linked to Dr Qadri’s party, joined the protesters in Islamabad puts forward a message of its own, thereby signifying the desire for change. It is a message the government would do well not to ignore, with the call for change evident, even if the demands themselves are contentious and have been backed by all major political parties, who have opted for polls over a caretaker set-up. Much will now depend on the decisions made by these parties. Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2013. ============== The army has denied persistent accusations that it is backing Dr Qadri, while links between him, the judiciary and the military are not proven. But Ayaz Amir, a member of parliament for the main opposition party, said that the fact that the army had not stopped the protesters from entering Islamabad showed that it had already chosen sides. The army maintains a special brigade which can be deployed to quell trouble in Islamabad – or stage coups. “The countdown has started. The government is finished. It is dissolving bit by bit,” said Mr Amir, pointing to the protesters. “If there was a government existing here, they would have been able to disperse the crowd.” ==================== Exclusive: Dr Qadri invites Imran to join his sit-in By Imran Khan Published: January 16, 2013 The cleric says that if it was any country other than Pakistan, the prime minister would have resigned even before the court’s decision. PHOTO: AFP ISLAMABAD: “If the change does not come now, it will not come after the election either,” says Dr Tahirul Qadri, the Minhajul Quran International chief who, along with tens of thousands of his supporters is staging a sit-in outside Parliament House. In an exclusive interview with Express News, Dr Qadri also invited Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan to join his dharna. He said that the Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaaf was like his party as they also wanted change. “I invite Imran Khan to join long march so the forces wanting change can unite.” Dr Qadri further said that the Supreme Court verdict had justified his movement, adding that the rulers would have to surrender in a day or two. He was referring to the court’s order calling for the arrest of all accused in the rental power plants case, including Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf. The cleric said that if it were any country other than Pakistan, the prime minister would have resigned even before the court’s decision. He further said that his struggle was against “fraud democracy”. “People of our nation have been slaughtered as if they were goats or sheep,” he said. Talking about his ongoing sit-in outside Parliament, the Minhaj-ul-Quran International chief said that his workers were fired upon when they tried to remove containers from the roads and called for those responsible to be arrested. “When our long march is peaceful, why they are erecting barriers?” he asked. Dr Qadri further said the people who had come to support his mission had come with their free will. Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2013. ========================= Strictly civilian: Army to keep govt crisis at arm’s length By Kamran Yousaf Published: January 16, 2013 Army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has decided in principle to let civilian authorities tackle political issues, says a security official. PHOTO: AFP/FILE ISLAMABAD: As the Supreme Court order to arrest the prime minister builds up tempo against the government that is also facing a huge protest led by influential scholar Dr Tahirul Qadri, all eyes are on the powerful security establishment for signs of what may come ahead. A senior military official said on Tuesday that even though the armed forces were prepared for any contingency if the ongoing situation deteriorates, the security establishment had nothing to do with the political upheaval triggered by Dr Qadri’s long march and the Supreme Court orders. “It is entirely up to the government (as to) how it handles the situation,” said the official who spoke on condition of anonymity. “The government seems confident that it has enough manpower to maintain law and order in the capital,” he added. Another security official pointed out that the army’s decision to stay away from the long march stemmed from the fact that it was a political event and could have negative implications if the security establishment intervened. “There are children and women in the long march, so it is a very delicate situation and we want the civilian authorities to deal with it,” the official said, adding that the army would try to avoid intervention at all costs. “Had the army wanted to take over, it would have already done so given the gravity of the situation,” the official said. But army chief Gen Ashfaq Parvez Kayani has decided in principle to let civilian authorities tackle political issues, he said. It is incorrect to say the army is behind Dr Qadri or Supreme Court’s orders against Premier Ashraf, he said, adding that such assertions were baseless. Reuters also quoted a senior military officer as saying that there was no appetite in the military to repeat the coups seen in the past, but added that the stand-off could be resolved if the army played a role in the formation of a caretaker government as a “moderator”. “We should try as far as possible to abide by the constitution and law in looking for change. The army chief has made this clear,” according to the officer, who said he was speaking in a purely personal capacity. “But things seem to be moving beyond control,” he added. (with additional input from reuters) Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2013. ============== Sticking to his guns: Defiant Qadri vows to go the distance By Umer Nangiana / Photo: Myra Iqbal Published: January 16, 2013 Supporters of Minhajul Quran chief Tahirul Qadri protest against the government at D-Chowk in Islamabad. PHOTO: MYRA IQBAL/EXPRESS ISLAMABAD: Two fiery speeches and an expired deadline later, both supporters and detractors of Dr Tahirul Qadri wait to see whether he will be able to sustain the momentum he has built. The Minhajul Quran International (MQI) chief’s second address to the marchers coincided with the Supreme Court’s order for the prime minister’s arrest, raising more than a few eyebrows, and prompting a fresh round of frenzied speculation. In his 11 am speech, the MQI chief instructed his followers to remain peaceful and determined. “No force on earth could stop these people from taking over the parliament building if they wished to do so,” said Qadri. “But we are here to end chaos, not to create more chaos,” he added, while promising he would deliver the second half of his speech today (Wednesday). The crowd at Jinnah Avenue erupted in celebration, dancing and cheering as the cleric broke the news of the Supreme Court’s orders for Prime Minister Raja Pervaiz Ashraf’s arrest. “Half of our job is done. I congratulate you,” he told his charged followers. Arrest attempts Before he made his speech, authorities made an attempt to arrest Dr Tahirul Qadri but were prevented from doing so by his supporters. A group of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), led by a Superintendent of Police (SP), closed in on the sit-in and resorted to aerial firing before trying to enter Qadri’s container by force. However, dozens of women rushed to the container and blocked off the police before other security volunteers of the MQI reached the spot. The incident triggered a brief clash between protestors and police, resulting in injuries to eight people including an inspector of the Islamabad police. “One bullet hit Dr Qadri’s container while some police officers tried to snatch the keys of the truck from the driver, who resisted,” said a member of Dr Qadri’s security squad. The MQI management later approached the Kohsar police to register an FIR against Interior Minister Rehman Malik, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Islamabad and 16 other police officials for ‘trying to kidnap’ the MQI chief. The police registered a report but did not register an FIR, saying they would ask for their legal branch’s opinion before filing one. Police reinforcements After the failed arrest attempt, fresh contingents of the Punjab Police, requisitioned by the city administration, started arriving behind the wall of containers that stood between the protestors and parliament. A police official said that after the arrival of 8,000 more personnel, the total number of Punjab police deployed at the spot crossed 20,000. These were reinforced by platoons of Azad Jammu Kashmir (AJK) police, who were deployed between the protestors and Constitution Avenue. Behind them were platoons of Rangers and Frontier Constabulary (FC), ahead of Pakistan Army officials who were especially deployed to protect the Parliament House. Air support was also at the ready, in the shape of helicopters gunship that kept hovering overhead the whole day. Despite the massive reinforcements, a senior official of the administration said the government had no plans to use force against the protestors or to arrest Dr Qadri. After preventing the arrest of their leader and shifting the venue of the sit-in to D-Chowk, thousands of participants of Dr Qadri’s ‘Jamhuriat March’ massed around his bullet-proof container outside Parliament. Dr Qadri said that he did not intend to take over the Presidency or the Prime Minister’s House, nor did he want to commit any unconstitutional or unlawful act. Instead, he cast himself in the role of democracy’s savior. He claimed that he had gathered ‘millions’ of people in front of parliament for the sole purpose of demanding a meaningful change. “We want to make members of the incumbent system accountable for their corrupt practices and answerable to the law of the land,” said the MQI chief. He also praised the military and the judiciary for doing their jobs with sincerity. (Read: A mad, mad world) Published in The Express Tribune, January 16th, 2013. =========================== Supreme Court orders arrest of Pakistani PM for corruption amid protest Get short URL Link copied to clipboardemail story to a friend print version Published: 15 January, 2013, 13:43 Edited: 15 January, 2013, 20:45 TAGS: Religion, Protest, Politics, Corruption, Pakistan, Violence Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri look on during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem) (3.2Mb) embed video XEMBEDTo include this chart in your web page, paste the following HTML tag into your web page HTML: The Pakistani Supreme Court has called for the arrest of the Prime Minister over a corruption scandal. The news was met with elation by thousands of protesters in the capital, who called for the dissolution of parliament on the grounds of corruption. Minister Raja Pervaiz allegedly received kickbacks and commissions in an ongoing case over a rental power plant project. He stands accused of accepting bribes in 2010 when he was minister for water and power. The Supreme Court also called for the arrest of 15 other people in connection with the case. The Minister’s advisor Fawad Chaudhry decried the Supreme Court’s order, calling it “unconstitutional" and said the ruling was without a doubt a product of the Supreme Court and the military working together to bring down the government. In addition, leading human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir wrote the timing of the ruling was “dubious” on Newsweek Pakistan’s Twitter feed. The announcement of the Prime Minister’s arrest was met with celebration by the tens of thousands of anti-government protesters led by cleric Muhammad Tahirul Qadri who had gathered in Islamabad, reported Newsweek Pakistan. Followers of Canadian-Pakistani Sufi cleric Muhammad Tahirul Qadri marched through Islamabad as part of a two-day mass protest against government corruption. Qadri demanded that the Pakistani parliament dissolve itself by 11:00am local time (06:00 GMT) on Tuesday. "Morally, your government and your assemblies have ended tonight," he said in a public address on Monday. "I will give [the government] a deadline until tomorrow to dissolve the federal parliament and provincial assemblies. After that, the people's assembly here will take their own decision." The situation spiraled out of control when the deadline passed, as scuffles broke out between protesters and the police. Officers fired tear gas shells at the ground and shots into the air to disperse the crowd. A girl holds a sign as she joins supporters of Sufi cleric and leader of Minhaj-ul-Quran Muhammad Tahirul Qadri on the second day of their protest in Islamabad January 15, 2013.(Reuters / Zohra Bensemra) Riot police officers gather outside parliament during the second day of a protest by supporters of Sufi cleric and leader of Minhaj-ul-Quran Muhammad Tahirul Qadri in Islamabad January 15, 2013.(Reuters / Zohra Bensemra) Muhammad Tahirul Qadri, leader of Minhaj-ul-Quran movement speaks before a protest march from Lahore to Islamabad January 13, 2013.(Reuters / Mohsin Raza) Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri rest during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem) Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri shout slogans during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem) Qadri’s supports pelted police with stones and beat them with sticks. Six activists were allegedly injured in the altercation. In an email to AP, Qadri blamed the security forces for the violence, claiming that they attempted to arrest him. Thousands continued to rally in central Islamabad in support of the cleric after the spate of violence. A city official told Reuters that there were around 30,000 people remaining the streets. Barricades were set up around government buildings in the center of Islamabad, and additional security personnel have been deployed. Mobile phone networks have also been shut down in the area, as authorities fear cellphones could be used to detonate bombs. Qadri has demanded that the Pakistani governmental elections scheduled for this spring should be delayed until corruption is stamped out in the current regime. The Pakistani government warned that they will not concede the cleric’s demands following the outbreak of violence. "We will not accept Qadri's pressure because his demands are unconstitutional," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told local television channels Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri hold placards during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem) Military puppet? Although Qadri enjoys significant support among Pakistan’s lower- and middle-class, some suspect that he is being backed by the Pakistani military. The cleric has denied any involvement with the military, although he said that the army could form a transitional government while new rulers are elected, giving rise to speculation over his connections to the military. “I have no link with military institutions," he told Reuters earlier. "I am one of the biggest staunch believers… of democracy in the whole world." Well-known as a founder of global Sufi organization Minhaj-ul-Quran and an outspoken anti-terrorism activist, it was not expected Qadri would emerge now as the leader of the protests, Farooq Yousaf, analyst and editor at the Center for Research and Security Studies in Islamabad told RT. “Mr. ul-Qadri enjoys the support of specific sectors of the Islamic religion, but as he was extremely vocal against the Taliban… he had to flee to Canada. But the timing of when he arrived is extremely surprising, because out of nowhere he came and announced a march against the government. It is extremely alarming for the country at a time when the government is about to complete its 5-year term,” Yousaf said. Sultan M. Hali, a senior retired officer in the Pakistani Air Force and journalist told RT that there were theories Qadri is backed by the West given that he spent a number of years in Canada. “Some say that because of his Canadian nationality and his longer stay in the West he may have been motivated as well as funded by the West,” said Hali. Linking the uprising to the Arab Spring, Hali stated that Qadri was likely to be more successful given his reputation in the West as a moderate and not an extremist. Qadri is “more enigmatic than charismatic,” but his movement has come at a time when there’s been “a very strange convergence of a lot of contradictory forces” in Pakistan, journalist and political analyst Shahab Jafry told RT. Somebody must be pulling the strings and providing the funding, Jafry argued, saying that Qadri is clearly taking advantage of the situation in the country. But Qadri’s position in Pakistan will very much depend on the government’s reaction, he added. “How much supports he [Qadri] gets from other political parties… in that the government will play a very central role. If it overreacts prematurely, if it exerts a force, then there are a number of parties that will jump in,” Jafry said. If the Pakistani elections proceed as planned this year, it will be the first time a civilian government has conducted democratic elections in the country’s history. Pakistani supporters of Canadian-Pakistani cleric Tahir-ul Qadri chant slogans during a protest march in Islamabad on January 15, 2013.(AFP Photo / Farooq Naeem) ================= IPhone AndroidBlackberryUnsupported Device? Visit: www.PakistanToday.com.pk on a mobile device Wednesday, 16 Jan 2013 9:44 am Karachi Lahore Islamabad Peshawar Quetta Hyderabad Sukkur Nawabshah Faisalabad Multan Sargodha Sialkot Kohat Mardan Thatta Sahiwal Okara Gujranwala Gujrat Jhang Kasor Chiniot Sheikhupura High 26 oC - Low 12 oC HeadlinesCity KarachiLahoreIslamabad NationalForeignBusinessEntertainmentSportsComment EditorialsColumnsCartoonEditor’s mailProfit ColumnProfit EditorialsProfit’s mail E-Paper Pakistan TodayProfitLoungeReviewKids TodayWill pronounce my agenda in three installments :Qadri 4:20 PM SC issues arrests warrants, PM on ECL 4:17 PM Pak aims to develop lighter nuclear warheads: report 4:01 PM India begins visas on arrival for Pakistani senior citizens 3:56 PM Man wakes up 14 hours after death 3:48 PM KSE 100 index plunges by 550 points 3:13 PM Six soldiers martyred in Khyber Agency 1:42 PM Parliamentarians accuse Qadri of addressing foreign audiences 1:25 PM One dead, 900 hurt in heavy Japan snowfall 1:20 PM Two bombs rattle Baluchistan 12:47 PM Police clash with long march participants near Kulsoom Chowk 12:35 PM Malik alleges TMQ of firing, breaching red zone 12:32 PM Halqi visits Iran after prisoner release 12:23 PM African troop deployment to take “a good week”: Hollande 12:18 PM TMQ resists Qadri’s arrest 12:15 PM US seeks to calm spats between Japan, South Korea 12:15 PM Elections will be held on time, says chief justice 12:04 PM Hillary to face congress on Jan 23 11:57 AM Sharapova powers into second round 4:43 PM Twin cities transform into barracks 4:39 PM 20 The cat is out of the bag, finally!News Comments (5) Arif Nizami 6 hrs ago | Comments (5) The bulletproof monk has thanked Allah for deliverance. The maverick cleric Allama Dr Tahirul Qadri addressing his “millions long march” in the heart of the federal capital has declared that the apex court having done half his job by ordering the arrest of the prime minister in the RPPs (rental power plants) case. The rest would be done once he is through with his dharna. The cat is finally out of the bag. It is not in vain that Qadri has been invoking the military and the higher judiciary to “save democracy”. The Chief Justice of Pakistan has obliged by announcing the arrest of “Raja Rental” and his cohorts involved in the case. By virtue of the timing of its verdict, the apex court has thrown a spanner in the works. The democratic system already shaky in the face of Qadri’s long march has been further destabilised. The prime minister’s continuing in office will depend upon the attitude of the higher judiciary and the military. Merely on his own, the demagogue cleric cannot send the government packing. So far as the military is concerned it is facing a tricky situation with India. Manmohan Singh in retaliation to skirmishes on the LoC (Line of Control) has sent a tough message to Islamabad. The new visa regime that was supposed to be operative from Tuesday stands suspended. To add insult to injury, the visiting hockey team has been unceremoniously sent back to Pakistan. Its hands full in dealing with an internal insurgency threatening the state from within the military has now to deal with an increasingly belligerent and sabre rattling Indian Army. The military is also playing a pivotal role in negotiating with the Taliban as a precursor to the end game in Afghanistan. This is hardly the time for the khakis to overtly dabble in internal war games despite Qadri goading them: “Not only to make policy but also to act.” Nevertheless the Allama’s nefarious agenda to get the system wrapped up through the courts and the military is now in the open. Efforts to sabotage the carefully nurtured system just a few weeks before general elections – going to be held for the first time under the aegis of a neutral and consensual caretaker government and an independent Election Commission – is indeed sinister. Nawaz Sharif has invited all major opposition parties for parleys at his Riawind residence. Naturally the PML-N supremo reckons that he has the most to lose. He thinks that Zardari has had his innings and now it his turn. The PML-N rank and file believes that Qadri has been launched out of the blue to thwart Sharif. The game plan is simple – to introduce a long-term caretaker government to clean up the Augean stables in the name of accountability. This could mean disqualifying politicians across the board, including Nawaz Sharif and Zardari, with the blessings of the superior judiciary. Throwing the two major political parties of the country out of the arena is going to be extremely dangerous. Unrest seen in major cities of Sindh, including Karachi Hyderabad and Sukkur is a precursor of things to come. It is obvious that Zardari painted in a corner, will not hesitate to invoke the “Sindh card”. Similarly, dislodging a major Punjab based party in the name of accountability will galvanize the opposition parties against a fragile and synthetic caretaker government. Messers Qadri and Imran can call it “Muk Muka” but a two party system buttressed by coalitions of smaller parties is a reality of democracy in Pakistan. Predictably former dictator Pervez Musharraf has endorsed Qadri’s agenda. He thinks his ‘true democracy’ was the real democracy. From his self-imposed exile he has invoked the military and the judiciary to play their role by sending the present democratic system packing. It is obvious that those forces that cannot even win a union council election want to grab power through the back door. Notwithstanding the economic woes of the country and tales of corruption of our ruling elite, the mullah, military and the judiciary are no holy cows either. It is indeed hypocritical of Qadri to invoke Imam Hussain (RA) offering his chest for the first bullet, himself hiding behind bulletproof screens. The FIA is probing the enormous funds he has spent on organizing, publicizing and sustaining his rally. It is ironical that Qadri holding a Canadian passport and rolling in millions of dollars wants to reform the system in favour of the masses - before his next trip back to Canada. ==================== Govt smells a secret deal between TTP and Qadri By Amir Mir Wednesday, January 16, 2013 From Print Edition 75 4 18 0 ISLAMABAD: The fact that the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan has abstained from targeting Dr Tahirul Qadri’s long march so far despite veiled threats and repeated warnings by the federal and Punjab governments, has led official quarters to believe that the Taliban and Qadri might have cut a secret deal while leaving behind their differences, probably because of their common agenda to get rid of the present system and the government. As Dr Qadri returned to Pakistan and announced at his December 23 Minar-e-Pakistan rally his decision to lead a protest march on Islamabad after January 10 if his demands were not accepted, interior minister Rehman Malik had warned him against threats to his life from the Pakistani Taliban. In fact, hardly a day after Qadri returned to Pakistan, the TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan had described the Tehrik-e-Minhajul-Quran chief as a foreign agent who was working on a foreign agenda and could never be trusted. In an email sent to various media houses on December 22, 2013 titled “Arrival of a foreign actor”, the TTP spokesman said: “Through expensive television commercials, Qadri is trying to give a false impression to the masses as if he was saving the Pakistani state. Qadri should know that the people of Pakistan identify him as a paid foreign agent of those powers who are conspiring to destroy the Pakistani state. Qadri has returned under instructions from his foreign masters to accomplish their anti-Pakistan agenda. Had Tahirul Qadri been a patriot, he would have never left Pakistan and preferred to stay here to serve the nation”. In fact, the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan had turned against Dr Tahirul Qadri after he had issued a 600-page fatwa or edict in the form of a book [on March 2, 2010], condemning terrorism and suicide bombings. As per his edict, “terrorism is terrorism and violence is violence and they don’t have any place or justification in the Islamic teachings”. Qadri’s 600-page fatwa had vehemently rejected al-Qaeda’s violent ideology and described the Osama-led terrorist outfit as “an old evil with a new name that has not been sufficiently challenged”. As Dr Qadri announced his plan to lead a long march to Islamabad on January 14, the interior ministry sent high alert messages to all the provincial governments, including the Punjab government, about the likelihood of a terrorist attack on Qadri’s long march. Rehman Malik subsequently presided over a meeting and set up a team to look into the matter. Malik then travelled to Lahore on January 7, held a meeting with Dr Qadri and briefed him in detail on the security threats he was facing. However, a defiant Qadri told Malik that he won’t be able to guarantee a peaceful long march if the government tries to sabotage it under the garb of so-called threats. The very next day, on January 8, the Punjab Counter Terrorism Department warned in a secret report to the provincial home department that Ghazi Fidayeen Force, a jehadi group led by Saifullah Baqi, has planned suicide attacks targeting Qadri’s long march. The report had even named the suicide bombers who had been tasked to target Qadri’s march either with an explosive-laden car or by exploding suicide vests. The potential human bombs included Yar Bakhat Khan from Hungo, Alam Khan from Abbottabad and Ali Ahmad from Charsada. Qadri subsequently approached the military authorities seeking security for his march. But the Pakistan Army was quick to distance itself from Qadri, with the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) spokesman confirming the rejection of a formal written request made to the GHQ, seeking security measures. However, in a surprising development on January 9, TTP spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told AFP by telephone from an undisclosed location that they don’t have any plans to attack Qadri’s long march despite severe political and ideological differences with him. “We abhor Tahirul Qadri for his views and we know very well the forces he is working for. But we didn’t threaten to attack his long march. We represent a militant group and take blame whenever we carry out an attack. The government and some political parties spread rumours for their own interests that the TTP would attack Qadri’s long march”, Ehsanullah added. The interior ministry instantly rejected TTP’s spokesman clarification, saying the threat alert was actually based on a phone call intercepted by a credible intelligence source and that the TTP was trying to mislead Dr Qadri in particular and the public in general. But quite strangely, talking to newsmen in Lahore on January 10, a confident looking Dr Qadri termed all government cautions to call off the march due to terrorism threats baseless, saying all those threats were fabricated by the government to prevent the march. He then cited the TTP spokesman’s statement wherein he had refuted issuing any threat to Qadri or his long march. Then quite intriguingly, while believing in the TTP spokesman’s explanation that they had no intentions to target his long march, Qadri named his potential foes by declaring, “If anything happened to me, President Asif Zardari, Prime Minister Pervaiz Ashraf, interior minister Rehman Malik, Punjab chief minister Shehbaz Sharif, Punjab law minister Rana Sanaullah and Nawaz Sharif should be held responsible”. Since Qadri’s long has yet to face any terrorist attack over the past 48 hours despite all the threats and warnings by the federal and Punjab governments, the official circles in Islamabad infer that Qadri and TTP might have struck behind-the-curtain deal to keep it cool, due to their common anti-government agenda. But Qadri’s close aides refute any deal with the TTP, saying they have managed to prevent any untoward incident mainly because of their foolproof security arrangements. ========================= Firebrand cleric raises fear of "soft coup" in Pakistan Wed, Jan 16 22:48 PM EST By Matthew Green and Mehreen Zahra-Malik ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - To Pakistan's ruling party, a firebrand cleric camped outside parliament with thousands of protesters is looking more and more like the harbinger of their worst fear: a plan by the military to engineer a "soft coup". In their eyes, Muhammad Tahirul Qadri seems like the perfect candidate for such a mission. A practiced orator who has electrified crowds with his anti-corruption rhetoric, the doctor of Islamic law leapt into action to back the last power grab by the army in 1999. The aim this time, some politicians suspect, is to use Qadri to bring down the current administration and provide a pretext for the army to hand pick a caretaker cabinet. "What we are seeing is dangerous and evidence that unconstitutional third forces are up to their tricks again," said Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a politician who has been a frequent critic of the army's record of interfering in politics. The military has denied any link to Qadri, and army chief General Ashfaq Kayani has built up a reputation for standing more aloof from politics than predecessors who have not hesitated to dismiss civilian governments. Pakistan has been ruled by the military for more than half of its 65 years as an independent nation. Critics note, furthermore, that the ruling Pakistan People's Party (PPP), which has a long record of confrontation with the military, has often been quick to portray itself as a victim of bullying by the military to distract attention from its shortcomings. But the timing of Qadri's return from six years of living in Canada, just a few months before elections are due, and his role in supporting a 1999 coup by former army chief Pervez Musharraf have nonetheless rung alarm bells. Qadri, who led a convoy of buses carrying thousands of protesters into the capital, Islamabad, on Monday, has repeatedly demanded that the army should have a say in the formation of an interim administration that is due to oversee the run-up to elections in May. "You meet army officers in the night; I'm asking that you consult with them on the caretaker set up under the sunlight," Qadri said in a speech on Tuesday in remarks clearly addressed to the government. The PPP's fears over the potential for military meddling centre on the impending formation of a caretaker cabinet. Pakistan passed a constitutional amendment last year that requires the government and opposition to agree on the composition of the temporary administration. The amendment is designed to prevent any ruling party exploiting the advantages of incumbency to manipulate elections by using state power to skew the playing field. The PPP and the Pakistan Muslim League, the main opposition party, have spent months negotiating a list of mutually acceptable names for the transitional cabinet, including a number of politicians noted for resisting military rule. "The PPP has lost three generations of leaders fighting against dictatorships," said a senior member of the PPP. "You think we will give up now? We will take up this battle at all levels." CONTEMPT Military officers privately do little to conceal their contempt for the PPP, whose government has been unable to end militant violence, bring down sharp food price inflation or get the economy on track since it took power in March, 2008. They are also dismissive of the Pakistan Muslim League. One officer, speaking in a personal capacity, said the army had no desire to seize power but might be forced to play a role as mediator between political factions if the cleric's protests trigger a prolonged crisis. "If this gets worse, then the army may have to intervene (as a moderator)," he told Reuters. After years of suspicion and ill-will between the generals and the PPP-led coalition led by President Asif Ali Zardari, Qadri's protests have seemed to signal a shift in the political landscape, with unpredictable consequences. "We can't say who is behind him. But all we know is that he can't pull this off without backing from someone," Maulana Fazlur Rehman, the veteran leader of the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam, Pakistan's biggest religious party, said on television. The political temperature soared even higher on Tuesday when Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry ordered the arrest of Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf in connection with a corruption case. Authorities have yet to carry out his instructions. An aide to Ashraf said the military was behind this move as well, but the chief justice is known to be independent-minded. If Qadri succeeds in bringing down the government, then a man whose name had faded from the limelight since he left Pakistan for Canada in 2006 will have sabotaged the PPP's bid to be the first civilian government to complete a full term. That would undermine Pakistan's struggle to bury the legacy of decades of military dictatorship by building institutions strong enough to resolve the nuclear-armed country's multiple crises. The military has a track record of picking interim administrations in past decades that have then overstepped their mandates by hounding the army's political opponents or manipulating elections. Army officers in Bangladesh, which was part of Pakistan until it broke away in 1971, have used a similar approach to appoint a technocratic government to implement reforms. But some commentators and Western diplomats argue that times have changed and the military has lost the appetite for embroiling itself in struggles with increasingly assertive political parties and a hyperactive media. "The military has no interest in disrupting the path to elections: in fact their interest is the opposite, supporting the transfer of power from one elected government to another, which is a political milestone in Pakistan's history," said Maleeha Lodhi, a former Pakistani ambassador to Washington. Much will depend on whether Qadri has enough rhetorical firepower left to persuade his followers to maintain their protest, or whether the government decides to order the police to apply pressure to disperse them. "There is nothing wrong with raising your concerns and protesting," said Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira. "But if you try to hold the capital hostage and disrupt the lives of its people, the law will take its course." (Additional reporting by Michael Georgy and Mubasher Bukhari; Editing by Michael Georgy, Raju Gopalakrishnan and Robert Birsel) ==================== The end: Concluding a farce By Umer Nangiana / Irfan Ghauri Published: January 18, 2013 “It is a day of victory for the marchers and the nation alike,” Dr Qadri declared after a ten-member delegation of the ruling coalition held a marathon session with him. PHOTO: AFP ISLAMABAD: This was a revolution that wasn’t. After being shown visions of Tahrir Square, the protestors who spent days in the freezing weather of Islamabad’s Blue Area instead had to settle with almost nothing. The ‘Islamabad Long March Declaration’, which was signed on Thursday night between Dr Tahirul Qadri and the government allows for the holding of elections on time and the vetting of candidates but not much else. After a series of consultations on Thursday, the Minhaj-ul-Quran International chief announced lifting the four-day siege of the capital after reaching what he termed a “successful agreement” with the government — a written document of the so-called electoral reforms agreed to upon by Qadri, signed by the prime minister and approved by the president. “It is a day of victory for the marchers and the nation alike,” he declared after a ten-member delegation of the ruling coalition held a marathon session with Dr Qadri to carve out “electoral reforms”. There were few signs of any significant government concessions in the deal reached, which stated that Parliament would be dissolved at any time before March 16 so that elections can take place within 90 days. The government had previously said Parliament would dissolve on March 17 — but Qadri hailed it as victory for the protesters anyway. Braving cold weather, rain, the state’s indifference and taunts and threats of physical harm for three nights and four days; thousands of women, men and children finally left for their homes with some recognition for their effort and a “declaration”. By signing the five-point declaration with the government, the MQI chief essentially succeeded in ensuring his continued role in the formation of a “transparent” caretaker set-up and the holding the general elections on time. Terms of agreement Earlier on Thursday, on the expiry of the MQI chief’s final 90-minute deadline given to the government, a 10-member delegation led by Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, comprising representatives of all coalition parties, held a five-hour-long round of talks with Dr Qadri in his bullet-proof container at Jinnah Avenue which culminated in the form of the declaration. The declaration “bounds” the treasury benches that they, in “complete consensus” with the Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT), MQI chief’s party, will propose two names, honest and impartial, for the caretaker prime minister. “This does not mean mere consultation, it will have to be a consensus (with PAT),” said Qadri while reading out the points of the declaration to the marchers. Other electoral reforms included that the National Assembly shall be dissolved at any time before March 16, 2013 so that elections can be held in 90 days, and not 60. This will ensure that 30 days are given for scrutiny/clearance of nominations of candidates well before the election. Until a candidate’s nomination is cleared by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), he or she would not be able to start election campaign, the declaration reads. About the composition of ECP, the declaration stated that the issue will be discussed by constitutional experts and all party heads at the MQI head office in Lahore on January 27. These constitutional experts will include lawyers S M Zafar, Waseem Sajjad, Aitizaz Ahsan, Farough Naseem, Latif Afridi, Dr Khalid Ranjha and Humayun Ahsan. The meeting will be convened by Law Minister Farooq H Naek who would also brief the January 27 meeting of these results. Electoral reforms will be enforced, before elections, in line with Article 62, 63 and 218 (3) of the Constitution. Sections 77 to 82 of the representation of Peoples’ Act 1976 and other relevant provisions relating to conduct of free and fair elections will also be followed in the reforms, pledged Dr Qadri. It was also agreed in principle that all cases registered against either side during the long march will be withdrawn. The delegation, included Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain (PML-Q), Afrasiab Khattak (ANP), Kaira, Khursheed Shah, Amin Fahim, Farooq Naek, Mushahid Hussain, Dr, Farooq Sattar and Babar Ghauri from MQM and Senator Abbas Afridi. Heading the delegation representing the coalition partners, Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain termed the congregation “historic” and said, “I have never witnessed such a massive gathering, and perhaps, I never will in future.” “This is the real face of democracy,” said Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira while appreciating the marchers for holding a peaceful demonstration. Addressing the world, he said “This is the face of Pakistan. We are against terrorism, extremism and corruption.” Reactions However, opposition parties wondered, along with others across the country: What was the objective of this exercise for which the country wasted four days. Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan from the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) said that there had been nothing new in the declaration except Dr Qadri’s consultation with the government over the caretaker government. Nisar was of the view that there was nothing new with regards to other points of the declaration “as they already existed in the Constitution” [Article 62-63]. “If one month, as per the declaration, has been given for scrutiny of the nomination papers from the 90-day period of holding elections, then the time left would be 60 days which had already been there,” he said. Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman asked whether the achievements of the march were worth putting the lives of thousands of men, women and children at stake. “What did you (Dr Qadri) want to achieve? And at what cost?” the JUI-F leader asked rhetorically. “This is victory of the people,” said Religious Affairs Minister Syed Khursheed Shah when he addressed the marchers prior to announcement of the declaration. “You (marchers) protested peacefully and the democratic government proved that power lies with the masses,” he said. The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) welcomed the agreement between Dr Qadri and the government and expressed hope that the agreement would help hold free and fair elections in the country. However, the party did not change its stance seeking resignation of President Asif Ali Zardari. (With additional reporting by Qamar Zaman in Islamabad) Published in The Express Tribune, January 18th, 2013. ================
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