Weekly EHTASABI AMAL Lahore ھفت روذھ احتسابی عمل لاھور

ISLAMABAD: The finance minister and his team are off to Washington to preside over the end of the current IMF programme. Of the nine programmes that Pakistan got into with the Fund, eight have been unsuccessful. The government’s inability to implement three major economic policy commitments — limiting fiscal deficit to 4.7 per cent of GDP, introducing integrated value added tax (VAT) and power sector reforms — will lead to technical completion of an unsuccessful $11.3 billion programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) on September 30, according to Finance Minister Dr Abdul Hafeez Shaikh. This is the eighth programme with the IMF to conclude on an unsuccessful note. On the eve of the departure of Pakistan’s economic team for Washington to attend annual meetings of the IMF and World Bank, the finance minister told journalists that Pakistan would not waste its energy on revival of the incomplete programme or seek a fresh programme owing to a comfortable external balance of payme...

PESHAWAR: Selfish elements, for their own petty interests, have put a strain on peace in Karachi, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) chief Nawaz Sharif said on Friday. He blamed political parties for Karachi’s deteriorating law and order situation. Addressing a gathering of PML-N workers in Peshawar, Sharif said many parties, with a few exceptions, were responsible for the ongoing violence in the city. He demanded that stern action be taken against those responsible for unrest in the city. Ideally, the government should have taken action to put an end to the worsening situation before the Supreme Court (SC) took suo motu notice, he said. Weak as it is, the present regime refrained from bringing those responsible to book, which is why the PML-N was at odds with the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) government, he added. “If my party is elected into power in the next elections, putting an end to the ongoing energy crisis will be my top priority … that and unemployment and growing pov...

By MATTHEW ROSENBERG And SIOBHAN GORMAN(Twsj) WASHINGTON—U.S. officials say they are looking for evidence that directly links elements of Pakistan's powerful spy agency to this week's assault on the U.S. Embassy and coalition headquarters in Kabul, a sign of just how rancorous relations have become between the two allies in the fight against al Qaeda and the Taliban. The American suspicions are being partly fueled by growing concerns that deteriorating bilateral relations, and the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan, may be pushing elements of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence spy agency to more closely embrace the Haqqani network, the Taliban faction blamed for this week's violence and a spate of attacks in and around Kabul. Neither the ISI nor the Pakistani military, of which the spy agency is part, immediately responded to the U.S. suspicions. Pakistani government officials dismissed the suspicions as insulting and unfair. Enlarge Image Reuters Afghan policeme...

KARACHI: Chief Justice Iftikhar Mohammad Chaudhry on Thursday observed that courts were performing their constitutional duties and would keep protecting the rights of the citizens and that "everything would end if steps were taken to stop the courts from functioning." The Supreme Court's five-member bench, headed by the CJ, reserved the judgment on the Karachi suo moto case after hearing the arguments of the attorney general, the counsel for the federation and the interveners of the proceedings. The Supreme Court issued interim directions to the law enforcement agencies and provincial law officers. It directed the Sindh advocate general to submit investigation reports on a daily basis to Justice Anwar Zaheer Jamali and Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany in their chambers through the deputy registrar at the Karachi Registry. The reports will update the court on cases registered for crimes committed commencing from July 24 onwards and progress made in the cases. The court directed...

Lahore—Dengue fever claimed three more lives in Lahore that has increased the toll to seven within 24 hours in the provincial capital. According to the media reports, at least 422 patients have admitted to the hospitals across Punjab, besides the anti mosquito sprays in educational institutions. According to sources, 19 years old Amna in a private Hospital of Lahore lost her life after suffering from Dengue whereas two men died in mayo hospital. During the 24 hours, seven people have been died including Mujahid Squad constable Atta Muhammad, a store keeper Khalid in Jinnah hospital. Dengue fever has claimed four more lives in Lahore, bringing the death toll to 20. Dengue reaching the epidemic proportions has exposed all tall claims of the Punjab Government that had been stretching thin to control the deadly mosquito. A patient died despite treatment at a hospital. Nadeem, resident of New Mazang was shifted to Services Hospital four days back where doctors diagnosed him with dengue. Nad...

Pakistan takes rap for Taliban's Kabul attack The brazen Taliban attack last Tuesday in the heart of Kabul and in close vicinity of high-value Western icons of presence in Afghanistan - the American embassy and North Atlantic Treaty Organization's Afghan headquarters - was daring and provocative. It was, perhaps, the Taliban's way of celebrating with fire the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and 10 years of Western boots on Afghan soil. Or were they putting on display, in their own inimitable style, their parting gift for their gratuitous "guests"?

Pakistan PM cancels trip to UN because of floods.Monsoon rains have flooded large parts of the southern Sindh province over the last six weeks, leaving more than 200,000 people homeless. Pakistan's leaders came under criticism last year for failing to deal with floods that affected more than a quarter of the country's territory.

Lahore: Lahore is facing rains more than 12 hours

Karachi gets relief but rains wreck havoc in other Karachi: Pakistan's biggest city and financial hub got some relief on Wednesday from the spell of heavy monsoon shower but the people in the interior areas of the Sindh province continued to suffer due to the floods and rain. Since Tuesday, the country has seen the worst spell of rain and thunderstorm in Karachi and interior areas. Rescue and police officials said some 35 people including 16 children had been killed in rain and flood related incidents. In a tragic incident at the state owned Jinnah hospital here, three patients, who were on ventilators, died due to a power outage due to the tripping of feeders and damage to pylons. Met officer Mohammad Hanif said so far more than 150 millimetres of rain had been recorded in many districts of the province while in Karachi also, many areas got up to 117 millimetres of rain. The rain was so severe in Karachi on Tuesday that the government announced the closure of all educational insti...

PESHAWAR: At least 30 people were killed and several others were wounded in a bomb attack at a funeral in Peroo village of Lower Dir on Thursday, though the police said 20 had died. “20 people were killed and 47 wounded,” said senior police official Salim Khan Marwat, adding that it appeared to have been a suicide attack. Marwat added that the death toll was likely to rise. According to initial reports, the blast was a suicide attack which targeted the funeral prayers of a tribal leader in the Samarbagh tehsil. Bakh Zaman, the tribal leader, died in an accident on the Islamabad-Peshawar motorway on Wednesday. According to eyewitnesses, ten people were killed and 50 others were injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up at the funeral prayers of Zaman, who was a carpenter. Another local senior police official Akhtar Hayat Gandapur confirmed the blast and said the explosion rocked funeral prayers of a local elder in Lower Dir’s Jandol town. “We are trying to ascertain whether it was a...

Suicide Bomber Kills 26 Funeral Mourners in Pakistan By ISMAIL KHAN Published: September 15, 201 PESHAWAR, Pakistan — A funeral for a carpenter killed in a road accident near here turned into a massacre on Thursday when a suicide bomber struck the gathering of mourners, killing 26 of them and wounding at least 50, the police said. A hospital official said he expected the death toll to rise. Even for a part of Pakistan known as a haven for the Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, tribal feuding and general lawlessness, the bombing was considered a shock, and police officials were at loss to explain the motive. Salim Marwat, the district police officer in the Lower Dir district, where the funeral was held, said the carpenter, Bakhat Khan, a local resident, “was an ordinary soul.” Pakistani news accounts said about 200 people were at the funeral when a bearded man ran out of a field toward the crowd screaming “God is great!” and detonated a bomb strapped to his body. The funeral site was st...

One party has committed breach of article 17 of constitution: CJP KARACHI: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry has said one party is there which has committed breach of article 17 of the constitution, therefore, the court is facing the prevailing situation. CJP gave these remarks while presiding over a 5-member bench of Supreme Court (SC) during the course of hearing of suo motu case of Karachi violence here Wednesday. CJP remarked all the cases occurring in Karachi pertain to terrorism and even extortion also falls in the definition of terrorism. However one person kills 100 persons and GIT gives report against him but no witnesses are available against him. Anwar Mansoor Khan president Sindh High Court Bar Association (SHCBA) has completed his arguments. Babar Awan argued that operation conducted by Gen Nasir Ullah Babar during 1994 to 1996 was the best solution towards Karachi issue. But government was removed on this pretext, he added. CJP remarked the then g...

IBRAHIM SUHEYL Confused people reel in dengue death-grip as govt struggles to control epidemic; Experts says presence of all four types of the virus in Pakistan confirmed; Death toll from dengue reaches 17, 7 die in Lahore in last 24 hours; 4,989 cases reported in worst-hit Punjab, 4,118 in Lahore alone LAHORE - The Government of Pakistan, already under immense pressure to aid hundreds of thousands of people affected by massive floods in the south of the country, is now also struggling to contain the dengue epidemic, which has so far claimed the lives of at least 17 people across the country. The mood in the country has taken a dark turn in the last week as the disease took on epidemic proportions, forcing the provincial government on Tuesday to close down schools and universities for 10 days. Another seven people have died of the disease in Lahore in the last 24 hours, including a child, and one each in Nowshera, Karachi and Rawalpindi, signaling that the epidemic has now reached coun...

PAKISTAN have won their one-day series against Zimbabwe 3-0, by taking the closing match in Harare with 28 runs to spare. Pakistan, after being put in to bat by Zimbabwe captain Brendan Taylor, made 5-270. Zimbabwe made only 9-242 in reply. Pakistan captain Misbah Ul Haq said Pakistan's policy of sending out a young and relatively inexperienced team had paid off and he was delighted with their overall performances. "This is all a good sign for the future of Pakistan cricket and from that viewpoint alone it was worth coming," he said. Pakistan, who had scrambled to a five-run win in the opening match and took the second by 10 wickets, were always the dominant side. Zimbabwe put up a strong showing, their failing being continually behind the required run rate. Pakistan got off to a spirited start through Mohammad Hafeez and Imran Farhat, who sped to 32 runs in the first three overs. The innings settled after that, especially when Harfeez fell for 23 and Farhat for 37. The r...

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Pakistan province shuts schools to curb dengue fever (AFP) LAHORE, Pakistan — Pakistan's most populous province shut educational institutions Wednesday in a bid to control an outbreak of dengue fever that has killed at least nine people since last month, officials said. Schools, colleges and universities across the central province of Punjab, where the disease has affected nearly 5,000 people so far, will remain closed for 10 days for fumigation. Local media said nearly two dozen people have died, including a senior government official, over the past two months. But officials have confirmed nine deaths, including a 14-year-old boy who died in Lahore's Children Hospital on Wednesday. Punjab government spokesman Ikhlaq Ahmed said on Wednesday that 4,989 cases had been reported in the province so far, of which 4,118 were in Lahore alone. Scores more cases were reported in Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces. Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif said a team of doctors from Sri L...

Pakistan on Tuesday formally sought India’s assistance in procuring dengue medicines from across the border at the earliest to help deal with the growing incidence of the fever across the country particularly in Punjab where seven people have died of the virus in the past month. Since the weekend, the local media has been reporting that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had instructed his officials to procure World Health Organisation-approved medicines from India at the earliest. The formal request was received by the Indian High Commission in Islamabad on Tuesday. Essentially, the request is to allow a team to visit India to purchase the medicines and the High Commission has agreed to facilitate the process, particularly fast-tracking visas which normally take at least a month to materialise. The other option for procuring these medicines was France but that would have been too time-consuming. Punjab is the most affected province with as many as 3,800 cases in Lahore alone and 4,0...

http://http://csis.org/files/media/csis/pubs/five_years_after_9-11smallsize.pdf

ISLAMABAD - Ten years on, Pakistan in the post 9/11 period represents a bleak picture of misery. The war on terror came to this country with too dear a price. With the erosion of state institutions and complete destruction of socio-political fabrics in Afghanistan, the impact of the US-orchestrated war on terror has reverberated to the unfolding heights in Pakistan. Many say, if any country is to be moaned on for this self-imposed (courtesy Pakistan’s ‘yes’ to the US offer) war on terror that rooted in Afghanistan, it has to be Pakistan. For most, unlike the past when violence, insecurity and instability were alien to majority parts of Pakistan, the gangrene of terrorism has perhaps become the genetic offshoot of this country’s existential component. Not only that Pakistan today stands Greek to peace, but Pakistanis brace their nerves, every single day, for unwelcomingly welcoming any new form of shock. “We’re the country that has suffered the most on one hand and delivered the most on...

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