Green light for by-poll

Friday, 01 Jan, 2010

In October, the Lahore court ordered the postponement of all by-elections following the Punjab government’s plea to the court that the ECP had not taken its views into consideration before announcing the by-election schedule. The court, in fact, chided the ECP for showing undue haste in the case of the NA-55 by-election. The Supreme Court, however, was clear on the issue when it ruled that the ECP was an independent body and that even parliament could not clip its powers.

There was much weight in the plea by Wasim Sajjad representing Sheikh Rashid Ahmed that when elections could be held in Afghanistan and Iraq, and were held in Pakistan in the aftermath of Benazir Bhutto’s assassination, there was no reason why polling could not be conducted in NA-55. We hope the Punjab government realises that the spirit of the SC order covers all those constituencies — including NA-123 — where by-elections were postponed. Of course, several religious and political personalities are on the Taliban’s hit list — that goes without saying. But, as implied in the question posed by Mr Justice Shakirullah Jan during the proceedings, a bad law-and-order situation had not prevented the provincial government from carrying out other activities. With all legal and administrative hurdles removed, there is no reason why the former prime minister should not make a fresh bid for parliament.

Afghan forces kill three Pakistanis

Friday, 01 Jan, 2010

Afghan workers setup a barbwire fence over the protective earth barrier

QUETTA: Afghan border security personnel shot dead three Pakistani nationals for illegally crossing into their soil from the Pakistani border town of Zhob, DawnNews reported.

According to official sources, three Pakistani nationals, who were shepherds by profession, had crossed over into Afghan territory on Thursday without any legal documents.

The three had entered Afghanistan from a point in between the Qamar Din Karez and Badini areas of the Pakistani border town of Zhob when they were shot dead by Afghan forces.

Their bodies were later brought to Pakistan by Afghan authorities and were handed over to their families.

Remote-controlled bomb attack kills four in Bajaur

Friday, 01 Jan, 2010

BAJAUR: At least four people were killed in a remote-controlled bomb attack in the tribal region of Bajaur Agency on Friday.

Militants attacked a vehicle with a remote-controlled bomb in Salarzai district of Bajaur Agency, sources told Dawn News.

Officials are yet to confirm the number of casualties and the identities of those killed in this attack.

Some officials suggested that members of local tribal lashkar (militia) fighting against militants in Salarzai may have been attacked in the remote-controlled explosion.

2009 in broad strokes

If pressed,

Pakistanis would probably give 2009 mixed reviews. Throughout the year, political problems – clashes between the government and opposition; a failure of the civilian and military establishments to see eye to eye; wrangling between the centre and the provinces – and the slow march of extremism, in the form of militant posturing and suicide attacks, have vied for headlines.

But there has also been much progress in the past 12 months as military operations against militants have proved successful, the Supreme Court has delivered historic judgements, and breakthroughs with regards to Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and the NFC have been finalised. Indeed, 2009 has been a year of both tumult and triumph in this country.

Politics: The scuffles and successes

Confrontations continued between the country’s two major political parties, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and the Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) over the judges’ reinstatement and an overall implementation of the Charter of Democracy (CoD). On February 25, a Supreme Court verdict declared the Sharif brothers ‘ineligible to contest elections or hold public offices,’ within minutes of which PML-N workers took to the streets of Punjab’s various cities voicing their agitation against the decision. The same day, governor rule was imposed in the Punjab in order to fill the ‘unprecedented and unique constitutional void’ created with the disqualification of Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif from holding public office.

While unrest continued in the Punjab, the PML-N announced all-out support for the lawyers’ movement for the judges’ reinstatement and marched toward Islamabad in order to stage a sit-in outside the parliament. On March 16, Prime Minister Gilani announced the reinstatement of Chief Justice Iftikhar Chaudhry. The proclamation was hailed by the opposition and the lawyers and the Long March was subsequently called-off.

After this unrest, Governor rule in the Punjab was lifted at the end of March and the Supreme Court reinstated Shahbaz Sharif as the Chief Minister on March 31. In a good streak for the Sharifs, on May 26, the Supreme Court overturned its own verdict that barred the Sharif brothers from contesting elections. More good news followed on July 17, when the apex court acquitted Nawaz in the plane hijacking case.

Other regions of the country were also not spared political troubles. Political turmoil first grappled Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) on January 6, when the region’s Legislative Assembly approved a no-confidence vote against the then-Prime Minister Sardar Attique Ahmed Khan following which Sardar Mohammad Yaqoob Khan was sworn in as the AJK Prime Minister. On October 14, Sardar Yaqoob Khan resigned from his post ‘in order to avoid a political controversy in the Legislative Assembly’. Later that month, the Legislative Assembly elected Farooq Haider as leader of the house and a 23-member AJK cabinet was sworn in on October 29.

Meanwhile, a self-governance reform package for the Northern Areas was approved on August 29. The package aimed at giving the region complete administrative autonomy and changed its name to Gilgit-Baltistan. The first elections for the Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly were held on November 12. And despite allegations of rigging, the PPP secured the mandate to govern the region, leading to Syed Mehdi Shah’s election as the region’s first Chief Minister.

Political reforms were also planned for the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) and were announced by President Zardari on August 14. Reforms included: ‘allowing political activities in Fata, setting up an appellate tribunal, curtailing arbitrary powers of political agents, giving people right to appeal and bail.’ The reforms’ systematic implementation did not take place and to some extent the measures were overtaken by the unrest and the military operations in the tribal belt.

In Balochistan, the political situation deteriorated with the killing of three Baloch activists a day before kidnapped UNHCR official John Solecki was released by the Balochistan Liberation United Front (BLUF) militants in April. Baloch distrust of Islamabad festered and allegations thrived regarding the missing persons’ issue. Sporadic violence continued across the province and, on October 25, Balochistan’s then-education minister Shafiq Ahmed Khan was assassinated in Quetta.

To control the situation, the government initiated a package to address the political, administrative and economic concerns of the province. Some significant areas the package addressed were limiting military activity inside the province, release of missing persons ‘against whom there is no charge and trial of others before a competent court.’ The package was instantly rejected by most nationalist and separatist groups who called it a cover-up.

The year also saw deliberations on the seventh National Finance Commission (NFC) Award, which concluded with the provinces’ agreement over a formula for resource division among the federating units. Poverty, revenue generation and collection, and inverse population density were, for the first time, introduced as the criteria on which the provinces’ respective shares would be decided. The consensus reached by the provinces was generally seen as a step in the right direction, which would help contribute towards stabilising Pakistan’s democratic institutions.

Also on the matter of resources, 2009 saw a controversy over the Kerry-Lugar bill that tripled non-military aid to Pakistan to US$ 7.5 billion over a period of five years. Rifts between Pakistan’s civilian and military leadership came out as debate ensued over the stated and the possibly intended objectives of the assistance package. While conflict brewed over the bill in Pakistan, Foreign Minister Qureshi rushed to Washington to communicate Pakistan’s concerns over the proposed bill’s conditionalities. The unchanged bill was then signed into law on October 15.

This was not the end to the year’s political scuffles. Ironically, it was the so-called National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) that turned out to be the most critical political challenge Pakistan faced in 2009. Chaos augmented and mudslinging continued as the ordinance expired on November 28 and the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional on December 16.

Security: More bombings despite military operations

Overlapping the political crisis was the security situation in Swat, a region in north-west Pakistan that had been under the control of extremists since July 2007. As violence spiralled in the region, the government moved toward a formal truce with the militants which included promulgation of the Nizam-i-Adl regulation, which imposed Sharia law in the Malakand division.

The measure emboldened the Swat Taliban who then vied for control of Buner and Lower Dir districts. Eventually, the truce agreement mediated by Maulana Sufi Mohammad of the Tehrik-i-Nifaz-i-Shariat-i-Muhammadi (TNSM) collapsed. On April 26, a military operation was launched in Swat. The operation aimed at taking back Swat, Buner, Lower Dir and Shangla. Operation Rah-i-Rast, also known as Operation Black Thunderstorm, led to a full-scale humanitarian crisis as civilians started to flee from these areas for safety. More than two million people were displaced from the region, most of who returned after the operation was declared successful and completed on June 14.

As the army consolidated control over Swat and neighbouring districts, a suspected US missile attack on August 5 in South Waziristan’s Zanghara area killed the then-Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) chief Baitullah Mehsud. Baitullah’s death, regarded as a significant blow to the Taliban in South Waziristan, was accompanied by the continual and massive troop build-up along the southern and eastern borders of South Waziristan.

In the wake of retaliatory terrorist attacks in Islamabad, Lahore, Peshawar and Shangla, the army on October 17 launched an operation in South Waziristan. The operation is currently ongoing and the army claims to have captured Kotkai, Kaniguram, and Sararogha among other important militant bastions in the battle to eliminate the local and foreign militants in the region. The operation is being viewed as Pakistan’s most ambitious move against the Taliban. As the year draws to a close, the army is also initiating action against militant hideouts in the neighbouring tribal agency of Orakzai.

The year of military successes and political disturbances was punctuated by frequent terrorist attacks across the country, most of which were associated with the TTP. The cities of Peshawar, Lahore, Islamabad and Rawalpindi were repeatedly attacked and although government and military installations seemed to be the standard targets, many attacks also singled out civilians, for example, the bombing of Peshawar’s Meena Bazaar on October 28 that killed 117 people, mostly women. Indeed, October remained the bloodiest month and saw 10 terrorist attacks claiming at least 283 lives.

Cross-border tensions

India has also stayed in the Pakistani headlines this year. On January 5, India handed over the first dossier regarding the Mumbai attacks of November 26, 2008, detailing ‘evidence of links with elements in Pakistan.’ While Pakistan haggled with resulting international pressure, India demanded extradition of suspects involved in the attacks. Rumours also circulated that a five-member team of the United States’ Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) had visited Faridkot, the alleged ancestral town of Ajmal Kasab, the lone captured attacker whose name remained a matter of debate for quite some time.

Relations between India and Pakistan continued to deteriorate throughout the year and rare encounters between Indian and Pakistani high-ups only revealed the widening rift. While diplomatic sabre-rattling continued, elections in India brought the Congress back to power. Pakistan’s own investigations into the Mumbai attacks suspects’ links continued and dossiers upon dossiers were exchanged between the two states.

At year’s close, the trial of Ajmal Kasab continues in India and an Anti-Terrorist Court in Pakistan has indicted seven suspects for ‘planning and helping the execution’ of the attacks. Relations, however, remain strained between India and Pakistan: India decries Pakistan ‘inaction’ against terrorist outfits (particularly the release of Jamaatud Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed) and denies involvement in Balochistan and Fata. Pakistan, on the other hand, appears aggravated by India’s ‘stalling of the dialogue process’ and continues alleging Indian involvement in domestic insurgencies and acts of terrorism inside Pakistan.

Looking forward to 2010

It is tricky to judge whether this tumultuous year was a step toward redemption – as manifest in decisive military operations and the superior judiciary’s NRO verdict – or a shift toward further turmoil. With an additional 30,000 troops inside Afghanistan and the ongoing South Waziristan military operation whose success is still a matter of conjecture, the least that can be hoped for is that Pakistan manages to develop a considerable degree of political stability, avoids conflicts between the state’s four pillars and thereby strengthens the government’s institutions.

AEW&C systems

THE induction of the first ‘high-tech’ aerial surveillance system into the Pakistan Air Force has been hailed as a great leap forward for the country’s defences. But we are circumspect. Here’s why. First, the Airborne Early Warning & Control (AEW&C) system purchased from Sweden is actually a mid-range technology, better than the rival French technology currently in use by the Pakistan Navy but inferior to the much-sought-after-but-denied American Awacs. Second, it is not clear yet to what purpose the new Swedish systems will be put. Handing the first over to the air force suggests that the war planners have an eye on India’s ‘cold start’ doctrine, which would theoretically make possible quick, surgical strikes inside Pakistan. But the fact is, the Swedish technology acquired can be equally useful over water, where the Pakistan Navy could use it to keep an eye on India’s submarines, particularly now that India is testing its first indigenously built nuclear submarine (though it is not yet clear if the Indian craft is merely a nuclear-powered submarine or a nuclear-missile-armed submarine).

Either way, the Swedish radars are a defensive capability that seems to have been acquired in response to assessments of what India can or cannot pull off militarily. Which raises the question: is military hardware the only, let alone the best, route for Pakistan to respond to changing threat perceptions? War planners here in Pakistan are always keen to highlight that they have ‘realistic’ assumptions and are ‘aware’ of the economic constraints of the country and therefore understand the impossibility and undesirability of matching India weapon for weapon in the military department. And yet Pakistan has just accepted the first of four reconnaissance systems that will cost $866m after virtually zero debate outside select military circles. Value for money? The people can only be certain when the defence-procurement system becomes more transparent.

Media under stress

THE South Asia Media Commission’s seventh report released on Tuesday highlights issues that should be addressed seriously by the fourth estate as well as by the governments of all the eight member-states of Saarc. Of primary concern is the growing incidence of violence in the region and its impact on media practitioners who have become vulnerable to it. According to the report 12 journalists were killed in 2009 in South Asia, more than half the number — i.e. seven — in Pakistan alone. It goes to the credit of the Pakistani media that in spite of the hazards it faces its members continue to perform their duties in a steadfast manner. Ironically as long as the press was in chains, journalists were more or less secure. They could not pose a danger to anyone. Now that it is in a position to expose the wrongdoings of governments and mobilise support for the rights of ordinary citizens, especially the downtrodden sections of society, it has come under attack from vested interests. To survive this difficult phase, the media must be protected by the government as well as by media proprietors.

Why have journalists not received protection from the law-enforcement agencies and their own employers in the form of protective gear and training as they go about their often dangerous duties? This is absolutely essential if the media is to survive as an institution that reaches out to people to report their concerns. Security measures must be extended by the government to foreign journalists as well to enable them to enter risky zones with adequate protection so that Pakistan receives fair coverage in the world media. The SAMC report points to another key feature of the media that should prompt us to take serious notice. It observes that some “zealots” in the profession have used their freedom to “scandalise and destabilise a fragile democracy.” It is not becoming of any organ of the media to become the mover and shaker of governments. The media’s job is to expose and work for a holistic development of a democratic order. This is possible if various sectors of the state act in coordination and are developed in an integrated manner.

Two killed as militants attack Nato tankers in Kalat

Thursday, 31 Dec, 2009

QUETTA: At least two people were killed and two others injured when militants attacked a convoy of Nato oil tankers in the Kalat area of Balochistan province, DawnNews reported.

Militants opened fire on the tankers going through the Chaman Pass to supply fuel to Nato forces in Afghanistan.

The trucks were on their way from Karachi to Afghanistan, through the pass, when militants opened fire on their convoy.

Earlier this week, militants attacked three Nato trucks on the outskirts of Quetta. The trucks were carrying supplies for the US-led coalition in Afghanistan

Karachi CCTV footage shows arsonists wreaking havoc

Thursday, 31 Dec, 2009

KARACHI: The CCTV footage of the Karachi riots has been released to the media. The footage captured by cameras installed by the city district government clearly shows arsonists setting fire to shops, vehicles and destroying public and private property.

The images show several arsonists and rioters setting fire to cars and shops after the blast on Karachi’s Mohammad Ali Jinnah road.

According to the CDGK, these and other visuals were also sent to police and other law enforcement authorities so that the people seen in the video can be identified and action can be taken against them.

In the footage, police and other security personnel can be seen standing by, doing nothing, while miscreants were busy rioting.

DawnNews spoke to DIG South Mr Ghulam Nabi Memon who heads the investigating unit probing the riots. He said the police did not open fire to avoid collateral damage.

Memon said had the police opened fire they could have hit mourners in the procession and that would have had negative fallout.

Troops kill 'Arab, Sudan fighters' in South Waziristan

Thursday, 31 Dec, 2009

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan: Security forces raided a private hospital before dawn in a Taliban stronghold in South Waziristan on Thursday, killing four foreign militants and a woman, officials said. 27 others were also arrested.

The dead foreigners include two Arabs and a Bangladeshi.

Troops laid siege to the Hafiz Hospital in Wana, which belonged to a former MNA, at 2:00am (2100 GMT) sparking gun battles until around 7:00am (0200 GMT), local administration and intelligence officials said.

A security official said the raid followed a tip off that wounded militants were brought to the hospital from Sherwangi, a Taliban-dominated area where Pakistan has been pressing a major offensive.

“Commandos and security forces raided the hospital. Militants fired on the troops and in the gunfight, which lasted more than four hours, four militants and a woman were killed, while 27 others were arrested,” said the official.

“One soldier was also injured. The three dead militants appear to be Arabs and one of Sudanese origin,” the official added.

The identity of the woman was not initially clear, the official said.

An intelligence official and a local administrator confirmed the raid and deaths of four foreign militants, but said their identities were not immediately clear. The intelligence official said 27 suspects were arrested.

South Waziristan is part of Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal belt on the Afghan border that Washington has branded the most dangerous region in the world and a chief sanctuary of Al-Qaeda plotting attacks on the West.

Last October, Pakistan launched its most ambitious offensive to date in its tribal belt, fighting on three fronts against Tehreek-i-Taliban in its South Waziristan stronghold, where the military says it has killed 663 militants

	Khuda Baksh, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto’s final resting place. Today, as he returns to Karachi, he documents how the life and legacy of Benazir lives on in the memories and experiences of the people of Sindh and her supporters from across the nation. His reflections on Benazir’s first death anniversary comprise Dawn.com’s online memorial on the occasion.

Karachi shuts down, mourns attack on Shia procession

Tuesday, 29 Dec, 2009

KARACHI: Karachi shut down Tuesday to mourn at least 33 people killed in a suicide bombing at a Shia procession on their holiest day.

Monday's blast sparked riots in Pakistan's largest city where angry mourners went on the rampage, throwing stones at ambulances, torching cars and shops and firing bullets into the air, sparking appeals for calm.

“The death toll has risen to 33 and there are more than 60 people who were wounded,” said Saghir Ahmed, health minister of the southern Sindh province of which Karachi is capital.

Investigators said the upper part of the bomber had been retrieved from the blast site, the busy Mohammad Ali Jinnah road where several wholesale markets of plastic goods and other merchandise are situated.

“The explosion ripped his legs off but the upper part of his body remained intact with his head. The bomber used 16 kilograms of highly explosive material in his attack,” said bomb disposal official Munir Shaikh.

Firefighters struggled throughout the night to extinguish a fire at the nearby markets that was set ablaze by angry mourners, as stunned vendors waited helplessly for an opportunity to salvage anything left.

An AFP reporter said the area was littered with abandoned sandals, water bottles, lunch boxes and charred wreckage of cars and buses. Traffic was thin because the government announced a day of mourning.

The bomber blew himself up alongside Pakistan's main parade for Ashura when Shias mourn the death of Imam Hussein.

Mohammad Hanif, a plastic toys vendor, told AFP outside his ruined shop that the bombing had robbed him of his livelihood.

“Terrorists have not only killed people attending the procession, but they killed us and our families who depended on this shop,” Hanif said, tears in his eyes.

Karachi Mayor Mustafa Kamal said losses could run into millions of rupees and said the government would do everything to compensate traders.

“The losses are huge. We will try to compensate people as much as we can with the help of federal and provincial governments,” Kamal told AFP.

Sindh police chief Salahuddin Babar Khattak said a special investigation team had been set up to probe the bombing.

Preparations to bury the dead were in progress with funeral prayers scheduled later Tuesday.

Troops kill 13 militants in Swat, Orakzai

MINGORA: Troops killed four militants in an exchange of fire near Swat’s Amludarra area, DawnNews reported.

Separately, in Orakzai, nine suspected militants were killed in different areas of the agency.

According to official sources, fighter jets pounded hideouts of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan chief Hakimullah Mehsud in Orakzai’s Ferozkhel-Mela area. Security forces also destroyed three other militant hideouts and four vehicles.

Orakzai agency is a stronghold of militants. A large number of militants have also entered the agency from the Kurram agency after the military operation in South Waziristan began.

Pakistan releases 100 Indian fishermen

Friday, 25 Dec, 2009

KARACHI: Pakistan Friday released 100 Indian fishermen who had been jailed for three years, as a 'goodwill gesture' to India, its South Asian neighbour, officials said.

The fishermen were to be released last Wednesday but Pakistani authorities said they had been forced to delay this because New Delhi had failed to make timely travel arrangements for the detainees.

Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani ordered authorities to hand over the fishermen on Christmas Eve as a 'gesture' to India, more than a year after ties seriously deteriorated following the Mumbai attacks.

The South Asian neighbours frequently seize each other's fishermen, accusing them of violating their respective zones in the Arabian Sea.

"We have released 100 Indian fishermen who were detained in our jail for the last three years," Ashraf Nizamani, superintendent of the Malir District Jail, told AFP.

"The released fishermen included 91 men and nine boys below 18 years age," Nizamani said.

Two large buses carried them from the jail in this southern port city to the eastern city of Lahore where they were expected to arrive Saturday and be handed over to Indian authorities at the Wagah border post.

Nizamani said nearly 500 Indian fishermen were still being held in his jail.

"Originally, they are sentenced for a month or two by our courts for violating our sea border but since they are foreigners we cannot release them until we receive an official order," Nizamani said.

Authorities in Pakistan estimate that nearly 200 Pakistani fishermen are languishing in Indian jails.

In the past, the two countries have released hundreds of detained fishermen in prisoner exchanges.

Licence to kill

IT seemed that sanity would prevail this year but the end result was quite the opposite. It was earlier reported that no special permits had been awarded this time round for the annual slaughter of the houbara bustard, an endangered migratory bird that is ostensibly protected under Pakistani and international law. However, it now transpires that Arab dignitaries have been awarded at least 27 permits for their wintertime shooting spree in Pakistan. Killing the houbara is illegal in this country — if you are Pakistani, that is — and that is the way the law should stand in perpetuity. That said, there must be a blanket ban on hunting the houbara and no exemptions should be made for Arab royals who covet the bird for its supposed aphrodisiac qualities. Each permit holder is expected not to exceed a set bag count but it is common knowledge that wildlife officials don’t have the wherewithal to keep the aristocrats in check. So what we get, year after year, is the massacre of a helpless little bird on the brink of extinction. Bag counts simply do not work. But that is perhaps neither here nor there because not a single houbara bustard ought to be killed by anyone, anywhere in this country.

The houbara’s migratory path once used to take it to the Gulf and beyond. But it was wiped out in the Arab states and now their dignitaries are bent, with the active support of the Pakistani state, on destroying what is left of the seasonal houbara population here. The problem with our wildlife and environmental protection laws is that they almost invariably come with riders that allow the authorities concerned to grant exemptions, permits for houbara hunting being a prime example. Laws are not enforceable when discretionary powers allow a government official to sanction the killing of an endangered species. This is not a sustainable approach and it is hoped that these loopholes will be noted and rectified by the country’s highest judicial authorities. This year’s slaughter of the houbara bustard has not started yet. It is not too late to prevent it.

SC refuses to accept Rehman Malik’s verbal statement

Thursday, 24 Dec, 2009

ISLAMABAD: The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Thursday stopped Interior Minister Rehman Malik from making a speech inside the court and ordered him to submit a written reply to a contempt of court charge.

Rehman Malik appeared before the apex court without a lawyer and tried to personally explain his position with regard to the allegations that he violated the apex court order by changing the investigative team probing into allegations of corruption in Pakistan Steel Mills.

‘You should go and file a written reply to the show cause notice as required under Supreme Court rules,’ Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhary told the interior minister before adjourning the hearing for one month.

Five killed in suicide blast in Peshawar

Thursday, 24 Dec, 2009

PESHAWAR: A suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with steel pellets attacked Peshawar on Thursday, killing five people in the second such strike in days.

The attack occurred at a security checkpoint in one of Peshawar's busiest areas in an army cantonment outside a government office and a church, where Pakistan's Christian minority were preparing to celebrate Christmas.

Pakistan has stepped up security during the holy Muslim month of Muharram, ahead of the Shia mourning period of Ashura, and one of Peshawar's largest Shia mosques was also close to the bomb site.

‘I was on my bicycle and just passed the checkpoint when I heard a deafening blast. It felt like somebody injected fire in my back. I fell to the ground,’ said fruit seller Alam Khan, whose back was pierced by flying shrapnel.

‘I saw smoke and dust. I wanted to help the injured but was bleeding myself and couldn't move,’ he added.

Officials said five people were killed, including a policeman and a woman, with 14 wounded, but said the bomber's target was not immediately clear, praising police for ‘intercepting’ the bomber at the checkpoint.

The explosion badly damaged three private vehicles and left police caps and helmets littering the ground, next to a police badge ripped from a uniform by the force of the blast, said an AFP reporter.

‘There were several targets,’ said Sahibzada Mohammad Anis, the top city administration official.

‘It could have been a Pakistan International Airlines building or a Shia mosque. There are also several shopping malls in this area,’ he said.

Bomb disposal expert Hukam Dad Khan said Thursday's attacker was wearing a vest packed with explosives, nails and steel pellets.

‘The suicide bomber was trying to cross the checkpoint. He was on foot. Police stopped him and he blew himself up,’ Mohammad Karim Khan, a police officer, told AFP.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani and the US embassy in Islamabad condemned the attack.

‘The prime minister said such terrorist acts cannot weaken the government's resolve to fight the menace of terrorism till its complete elimination,’ said a statement from Gilani's office.

Promulgation of NRO a mistake: Musharraf

ISLAMABAD: Former president Pervez Musharraf has described as a 'mistake' his decision to promulgate the National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO), a graft amnesty that was recently struck down by Pakistan's Supreme Court.

The apex court last week declared the NRO void, sparking the worst political crisis since the Pakistan People's Party came to power in last year's general election.

President Asif Ali Zardari and several close aides are among the over 8,000 people who benefited from the graft amnesty.

'The one clarification that I will make is that I committed this mistake on the strong advice of the political leadership at that time who are now blatantly disowning connections with it.

'My interest was only national, with absolutely no personal bias or agenda,' Musharraf wrote on his page on the social networking website Facebook.

Musharraf, who has been active on Facebook for the past few weeks and has over 60,000 fans, including hundreds from India, was responding to a question.

The former military ruler took time off to respond to three questions from the public, including what compelled him to promulgate the NRO in October 2007.

He said he would have to a keep a more detailed response pending for the time being 'because of certain political sensitivities'. However, Musharraf promised that he would 'take the nation on board at the appropriate time'.

To a related question about the NRO bringing 'corrupt politicians to power' and allowing Zardari to be elected president, Musharraf wrote: 'NRO may have allowed Asif Zardari or corrupt politicians to contest elections but it certainly was not the cause of their coming to power. NRO is not responsible for electing the PPP as the majority party or allowing Asif Zardari to win an election.

'NRO is not responsible for corrupt politicians sitting in assemblies, or being appointed as ministers. All this happened through the votes of the people of Pakistan. NRO is not responsible for all parliamentarians of provincial and national assemblies and Senate having overwhelmingly voted for Asif Zardari as president,' he said.

'The nation has to learn to cast their votes for the right person and the right party,' he added.

Musharraf also defended the military operation against radical elements who had holed up in the Lal Masjid in Islamabad.

'The Lal Masjid operation is a case study of how an appropriately timed, meticulously planned and boldly executed operation launched in the supreme national interest can be distorted by vested interests who want to present it as a disaster,' he wrote.

He said claims that hundreds of innocent people were killed were an 'absolute lie'. -DawnNews

Brave policeman sacrifices his life to save journalists

PESHAWAR: In the first direct attack on a media-related institution, a suicide bomber blew himself up near the entrance of the Peshawar Press Club on Tuesday, leaving three people dead and 23 others injured.

‘It was a suicide bombing,’ city police chief Liaquat Ali Khan told reporters.

Remains of the bomber and a constable guarding the entrance were scattered along the driveway to the basement of the club and police searched for forensic evidences in the shattered windowpanes.

According to witnesses, the teenage bomber of fair complexion and sporting long hair exploded himself when police guard Riazuddin Khan tried to search him.

‘You want to search? Okay, search,’ a witness quoted the bomber as saying. ‘And then there was the explosion,’ Minhaj, an employee of the district security department said. He was among those injured by ball bearings and shrapnels.

According to a bomb disposal expert, the weight of the explosives used by the bomber was about 8kgs. ‘It is more than what they normally use in suicide bombings,’ Khurshid Khan said.

Another witness said the bomber wearing black clothes and a jacket was heard arguing with the guard, insisting that he be allowed to enter the club.

Those killed in the attack are Head Constable Riazuddin Khan, passerby Robina Shaheen and the club’s accountant Mian Iqbal.

Riaz had been guarding the club’s entrance for three years because journalists believed he recognised all members.

The blast took place at 11.40am when dozens of journalists were sitting in the lawn behind the main building and others in the library, cafeteria and net cafe.

Peshawar Press Club’s president Shamim Shahid said intelligence and police officials had warned the administration of a possible attack. ‘We had taken all possible steps but there is no way to stop a suicide bomber coming to explode himself.’

He said the club had stopped allowing political gatherings on its premises for security reasons.

The club has announced three days of mourning. The injured people were taken to the Lady Reading Hospital. Five of the injured were in a serious condition, a hospital official said.

The city police chief said the policeman’s death proved that security had been tightened at all sensitive places.

He said the number of casualties would have been much higher had the bomber succeeded in entering the building.

NWFP Chief Minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti condemned the attack and expressed sympathy with journalists.

He visited the club and ordered an immediate probe. He said sacrifices rendered by security personnel and journalists in the war against terrorists would not go waste.

He said the media had played a critical role in unveiling plots hatched to weaken the state and terrorists’ evil designs.

Senior Minister Bashir Ahmed Bilour, NWFP Assembly Speaker Karamatullah Chagharmatti, Sports Minister Syed Aqil Shah, Education Minister Sardar Hussain Babak and MPAs of different parties also visited the club and condemned the blast.

The US consulate in Peshawar also condemned the bombing. The administration of the press club blamed militants for the blast and vowed that they would continue to expose the terrorists who were killing innocent people in the country.

‘The mid-day suicide attack on the Peshawar Press Club is a manifestation of the militants’ threats being hurled at the journalist community over the past two years,’ president of the club Shamim Shahid said.

He paid tribute to the slain policeman. He said the attack was similar to those taking place across the country.

‘We aren’t scared of such attacks and won’t change our course. The militants want journalists to stop writing about their wrongdoings, but we will continue to show their real picture to the people,’ he said.

Mr Shahid said no-one could deny anyone the right to freedom of expression. He said people knew the militants were doing a disservice to Islam and Muslims.

PPC’s general secretary Mohammad Ali Khan said there would be no activity at the club for three days in protest against the attack. He said the incident had strengthened the resolve of local journalists.

Demonising America

It was in Ayatollah Khomeini’s Iran that America was labelled The Great Satan. Judging from current trends, the day is not too far off when America will be given the same moniker in Pakistan. Ever since the US resorted to carrying out drone attacks against terrorist suspects inside Pakistan, vocal condemnations of America have been widespread.

The furore over the Kerry-Lugar foreign aid bill brought matters to a head.

At issue, the corps commanders explained, was the affront to national sovereignty. The nation’s honour had been attacked became the rallying cry. So what if the challenger was the globe’s only superpower? And so what if it was simply trying to strengthen Pakistan’s civil institutions? Their crumbling at the hands of the military had been of great concern to civil society.

Lost on the anti-Americanistas was the fact that the US was not obliged to provide $7.5bn over the next five years to Pakistan. If the Pakistanis did not like the conditions that came with the funds, they could simply decline the aid. As Senator Kerry put it, the US had plenty of other places on which to spend the money.

When it comes to anti-Americanism, there is little doubt that Al Qaeda and the Taliban lead the pack. But the rightwing parties are not too far behind. At a recent demonstration in Pakistan, bearded men held up placards that flaunted the Yankees in no uncertain terms: ‘Crush, Crush, America.’

Anti-Americanism has also picked up converts in the mainstream print and electronic media. Conspiracy theories involving America are aired with increasing frequency. Even some leading figures from the diplomatic establishment have joined the fray.

The latest is Shamshad Ahmad, a former foreign secretary and former UN ambassador.

Speaking at a seminar in Karachi on state sovereignty, he went beyond the usual recital of grievances. That well-known list includes three major items. First, the US did not come to Pakistan’s aid during the 1965 war with India. This overlooks the fact that the war was initiated by Pakistan and that US arms were never meant to be used against India.

Second, it did not come to Pakistan’s aid in the 1971 war with India. This overlooks the fact that the war was triggered by the military’s ambitions to negate the results of the general elections and to rule in perpetuity.

Third, it abandoned Pakistan once the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan in 1989. This overlooks the fact that the US had not guaranteed Pakistan’s security for all times to come against enemies of all stripes.

The former foreign secretary, a strong proponent of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons but by no means a firebrand Islamist, stated: ‘The US had used us as a spy in the past to fulfil its motives, while now it is using us as a mercenary.’ And then came the clincher: ‘It is the US intervention, not the Russian intervention which has kept everything on the boil in the region.’

Some political analysts continue to indulge in conspiracy theories about the attack on Pearl Harbour on Dec 7, 1941 and the attacks of Sept 11, 2001. But Ahmad put himself in a class of one by saying that the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan on Christmas Eve in 1979 was engineered by the US.

He said, ‘The Americans think and plan about things they want to achieve in 50 or 60 years. They created a vacuum in Afghanistan. So after the political manoeuvring in Afghanistan, the US created a way for the Soviet Union [to be] sucked in[to] that vacuum.’

Court stay allowed Shahbaz to remain CM: Taseer

Updated at: 2201 PST, Monday, December 21, 2009 LAHORE: Governor Punjab Salman Taseer Monday said that Shahbaz Sharif continues to serve as Punjab Chief Minister because of the court’s stay order, demanding proceeding of the latter’s case to be taken up. He said the verdict on National Reconciliation Ordinance (NRO) by the Supreme Court should not have directed for speedy disposal of the cases. The apex court should only have talked about declaring the NRO null and void, he added.