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India parliament attack plotter hanged

2013-02-09 12:59:00 (читать в оригинале)

Police escort Mohammed Afzal Guru (C) to court in New Delhi, on December 16, 2002. — File Photo by AFP

NEW DELHI: India executed a Kashmiri separatist on Saturday over his role in a deadly attack on parliament in 2001 after his final mercy plea was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee, officials said.

Mohammed Afzal Guru, a former fruit seller, was hanged at Tihar Jail at around 7:30am (0200 GMT), becoming only the second person to be hanged in India in nearly a decade, officials said.

“Yes, he has been hanged,” Home Secretary R.K. Singh said in brief comments to AFP.

Guru was found guilty of conspiring with and sheltering the militants who attacked the parliament in December 2001.

He was also held guilty of being a member of the banned Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which fights against Indian rule in the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, where a separatist conflict has claimed up to 100,000 lives.

Five armed rebels stormed India’s parliament in New Delhi on December 13, 2001, killing eight police officers and a gardener before they were shot dead by security forces.

A journalist wounded in the attack died months later.

Sources in the intelligence wing of the Indian army said they had been instructed to prepare for a possible backlash in Kashmir after Guru’s execution.

“We were informed that Afzal Guru will be hanged on Saturday and therefore we must tighten security,” a senior army official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A former chief minister of Kashmir once warned that executing him would lead the country to “go up in flames” because of a backlash from rebels in Indian Kashmir.

Guru’s conviction, which has been delayed on several occasions, was both highly political and hotly contested. He described his imprisonment as a “gross miscarriage of justice” in his mercy appeal to the president.

A group of activists including lawyers have campaigned for him, saying his trial had major problems, including fabricated evidence presented by the police and the lack of proper legal representation.

Protesters against his “unfair” conviction in Muslim-majority Kashmir have held demonstrations demanding his release, while right-wing Hindu activists have long demanded his execution to send a message to other potential attackers.

The widows of the police officers killed in the attack handed back their posthumous gallantry medals and said they would only take them back once Guru was sent to the gallows.

Guru was initially convicted along with Shaukat Hussain, a former student at Delhi University and S.A.R. Geelani, a New Delhi college teacher, who were also handed the death sentence, reserved for the “rarest of rare” cases in India.

Their crimes were described as “horrendous, revolting and dastardly” by the Indian judge who tried them.

Guru’s wife, Afsan Guru, who was found guilty of not disclosing information to police, was also sentenced to five years in prison but had her conviction overturned on appeal.

Geelani was also freed on appeal after two-years of imprisonment, adding to the doubts about the initial trial.

Executions are only carried out for extremely rare cases in India and Guru’s would be only the second since 2004.

The sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Pakistani-born Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, was executed on November 21 last year.

NEW DELHI: India executed a Kashmiri separatist on Saturday over his role in a deadly attack on parliament in 2001 after his final mercy plea was rejected by President Pranab Mukherjee, officials said.

Mohammed Afzal Guru, a former fruit seller, was hanged at Tihar Jail at around 7:30am (0200 GMT), becoming only the second person to be hanged in India in nearly a decade, officials said.

“Yes, he has been hanged,” Home Secretary R.K. Singh said in brief comments to AFP.

Guru was found guilty of conspiring with and sheltering the militants who attacked the parliament in December 2001.

He was also held guilty of being a member of the banned Islamist group Jaish-e-Mohammed, which fights against Indian rule in the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir, where a separatist conflict has claimed up to 100,000 lives.

Five armed rebels stormed India’s parliament in New Delhi on December 13, 2001, killing eight police officers and a gardener before they were shot dead by security forces.

A journalist wounded in the attack died months later.

Sources in the intelligence wing of the Indian army said they had been instructed to prepare for a possible backlash in Kashmir after Guru’s execution.

“We were informed that Afzal Guru will be hanged on Saturday and therefore we must tighten security,” a senior army official told AFP on condition of anonymity.

A former chief minister of Kashmir once warned that executing him would lead the country to “go up in flames” because of a backlash from rebels in Indian Kashmir.

Guru’s conviction, which has been delayed on several occasions, was both highly political and hotly contested. He described his imprisonment as a “gross miscarriage of justice” in his mercy appeal to the president.

A group of activists including lawyers have campaigned for him, saying his trial had major problems, including fabricated evidence presented by the police and the lack of proper legal representation.

Protesters against his “unfair” conviction in Muslim-majority Kashmir have held demonstrations demanding his release, while right-wing Hindu activists have long demanded his execution to send a message to other potential attackers.

The widows of the police officers killed in the attack handed back their posthumous gallantry medals and said they would only take them back once Guru was sent to the gallows.

Guru was initially convicted along with Shaukat Hussain, a former student at Delhi University and S.A.R. Geelani, a New Delhi college teacher, who were also handed the death sentence, reserved for the “rarest of rare” cases in India.

Their crimes were described as “horrendous, revolting and dastardly” by the Indian judge who tried them.

Guru’s wife, Afsan Guru, who was found guilty of not disclosing information to police, was also sentenced to five years in prison but had her conviction overturned on appeal.

Geelani was also freed on appeal after two-years of imprisonment, adding to the doubts about the initial trial.

Executions are only carried out for extremely rare cases in India and Guru’s would be only the second since 2004.

The sole surviving gunman from the 2008 Mumbai attacks, Pakistani-born Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, was executed on November 21 last year.

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Partitioning Punjab

2013-02-09 12:59:00 (читать в оригинале)

THIS is apropos of the letter ‘Partitioning Punjab’ (Feb 1) by Kunwar Idris. Mr Kunwar is not an unknown person and those who belong to civil services of Pakistan hold him in high esteem.

He has been one of the role models for CSP/DMG officers because he was a public/civil servant in its true spirit well above all biases.

However, his opinion/lamentation on the partition of Punjab needs revisiting none else but by him. Seraiki area, the core of which is the area around Multan and Bahawalpur division, has never been part of Punjab in recorded history except when it was conquered by the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh in 1812 and put under Takht-i-Lahore.

When British ended Sikh rules in 1849, they retained the Bahawalpur state but annexed Multan and surrounding areas with Lahore. D.G. Khan was made a buffer arrangement between British and warring Baloch population.

Therefore, separating Seraiki belt from Punjab and giving it an independent identity will put right the historical wrong.

Distortions in history were made by past rulers according to their convenience and loyalty to conquering rulers. An example in the present context could be Bahawal Khan who was given undue favours and allowed more land of Sadiqabad Kot Subzal and Rojhan Mazari, etc., after defeat of Talpurs in Sindh in 1843.

While discussing present scheme of division of Punjab, the writer has made a reference to partition of Punjab in 1947. He has made a bold statement that by accepting cabinet mission plan, the Quaid-i-Azam had virtually abandoned the demand for Pakistan and accepted united India with provinces having substantial autonomy because he had known very well consequences of the partition and the people who would follow him to run the country.

It was only the historical unwise statement of Jawahar Lal Nehru that the scheme of things devised under the cabinet mission plan would be changed through an amendment in the constitution that Jinnah was alarmed, rejected the plan and accepted truncated Pakistan where Punjab was partitioned along with Bengal.

ABDUL QADIR MEMON
Former deputy commissioner, Badin

THIS is apropos of the letter ‘Partitioning Punjab’ (Feb 1) by Kunwar Idris. Mr Kunwar is not an unknown person and those who belong to civil services of Pakistan hold him in high esteem.

He has been one of the role models for CSP/DMG officers because he was a public/civil servant in its true spirit well above all biases.

However, his opinion/lamentation on the partition of Punjab needs revisiting none else but by him. Seraiki area, the core of which is the area around Multan and Bahawalpur division, has never been part of Punjab in recorded history except when it was conquered by the Sikh ruler Ranjit Singh in 1812 and put under Takht-i-Lahore.

When British ended Sikh rules in 1849, they retained the Bahawalpur state but annexed Multan and surrounding areas with Lahore. D.G. Khan was made a buffer arrangement between British and warring Baloch population.

Therefore, separating Seraiki belt from Punjab and giving it an independent identity will put right the historical wrong.

Distortions in history were made by past rulers according to their convenience and loyalty to conquering rulers. An example in the present context could be Bahawal Khan who was given undue favours and allowed more land of Sadiqabad Kot Subzal and Rojhan Mazari, etc., after defeat of Talpurs in Sindh in 1843.

While discussing present scheme of division of Punjab, the writer has made a reference to partition of Punjab in 1947. He has made a bold statement that by accepting cabinet mission plan, the Quaid-i-Azam had virtually abandoned the demand for Pakistan and accepted united India with provinces having substantial autonomy because he had known very well consequences of the partition and the people who would follow him to run the country.

It was only the historical unwise statement of Jawahar Lal Nehru that the scheme of things devised under the cabinet mission plan would be changed through an amendment in the constitution that Jinnah was alarmed, rejected the plan and accepted truncated Pakistan where Punjab was partitioned along with Bengal.

ABDUL QADIR MEMON
Former deputy commissioner, Badin

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Iran-Pakistan gas project

2013-02-09 12:59:00 (читать в оригинале)

RAJA Pervez Ashraf’s cabinet is reported to have approved the Iran – Pakistan gas pipeline deal with the price of gas fixed at $13 per unit. The current price of domestic gas being charged by Sui gas distribution companies is $3.50 per unit. The enormous difference in gas prices will cause great damage to Pakistan’s economy, further reduce whatever is left of industrial production and intensify sufferings of the common man.

Developing more domestic gas fields in future will also not compensate for crippling burden caused by exorbitant gas prices being decided. The terms of independent power projects (IPP) contracts, approved about two decades ago, are an example which have taken the electricity costs to unaffordable level and continue to have their devastative effects on our economy.

A similar situation is developing if the gas price being fixed is allowed to be approved. The representatives of global oil cartel stationed in Islamabad have ensured that Pakistan does not further develop domestic gas fields which could reduce our oil imports. The use of CNG in the transport sector has been effectively scuttled for the same reason.

It appears to be a parting kick by this team of expert deal – makers occupying Islamabad before they are forced to leave the government as result of coming elections. Political parties in the opposition, civil society, the media and the judiciary must oppose this deal if the price is not brought closer to our existing domestic gas price.

COL (Rtd) NAZIR AHMED
Islamabad

RAJA Pervez Ashraf’s cabinet is reported to have approved the Iran – Pakistan gas pipeline deal with the price of gas fixed at $13 per unit. The current price of domestic gas being charged by Sui gas distribution companies is $3.50 per unit. The enormous difference in gas prices will cause great damage to Pakistan’s economy, further reduce whatever is left of industrial production and intensify sufferings of the common man.

Developing more domestic gas fields in future will also not compensate for crippling burden caused by exorbitant gas prices being decided. The terms of independent power projects (IPP) contracts, approved about two decades ago, are an example which have taken the electricity costs to unaffordable level and continue to have their devastative effects on our economy.

A similar situation is developing if the gas price being fixed is allowed to be approved. The representatives of global oil cartel stationed in Islamabad have ensured that Pakistan does not further develop domestic gas fields which could reduce our oil imports. The use of CNG in the transport sector has been effectively scuttled for the same reason.

It appears to be a parting kick by this team of expert deal – makers occupying Islamabad before they are forced to leave the government as result of coming elections. Political parties in the opposition, civil society, the media and the judiciary must oppose this deal if the price is not brought closer to our existing domestic gas price.

COL (Rtd) NAZIR AHMED
Islamabad

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Renaming Qadhafi Stadium

2013-02-09 12:59:00 (читать в оригинале)

THE Punjab chief minister has given the go-ahead for naming Lahore’s city roads, intersections and interchanges after renowned personalities.

The decision will now be carried out by the city administration whose recommendations were approved by the chief minister. One of them is naming the road around Qadhafi Stadium after former Pakistan cricket captain and cricket board chief the late Abdul Hafeez Kardar.

This, no doubt, will be appreciated by the cricket enthusiasts given Kardar’s laudable services to the game. However, one feels that the time has now come to change the name of the stadium itself.

The stadium was named after the late Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi in 1974 on the occasion of Islamic summit held in Lahore by Z.A. Bhutto’s government in appreciation of his public address at the venue and his friendly ties with Pakistan. Qadhafi has now gone into history, detested and killed by his own people. Democracy is now functioning in the oil-rich North African country. The decision to name the stadium after the Libyan dictator was purely political and had absolutely nothing to do with cricket.

With the Pakistan Super League proposed to be held in March in Lahore, the occasion should be marked by renaming the stadium after the historical city which has produced a number of outstanding cricketers over the years.

FAWAD HASHMEY    
Lahore

THE Punjab chief minister has given the go-ahead for naming Lahore’s city roads, intersections and interchanges after renowned personalities.

The decision will now be carried out by the city administration whose recommendations were approved by the chief minister. One of them is naming the road around Qadhafi Stadium after former Pakistan cricket captain and cricket board chief the late Abdul Hafeez Kardar.

This, no doubt, will be appreciated by the cricket enthusiasts given Kardar’s laudable services to the game. However, one feels that the time has now come to change the name of the stadium itself.

The stadium was named after the late Libyan dictator Muammar Qadhafi in 1974 on the occasion of Islamic summit held in Lahore by Z.A. Bhutto’s government in appreciation of his public address at the venue and his friendly ties with Pakistan. Qadhafi has now gone into history, detested and killed by his own people. Democracy is now functioning in the oil-rich North African country. The decision to name the stadium after the Libyan dictator was purely political and had absolutely nothing to do with cricket.

With the Pakistan Super League proposed to be held in March in Lahore, the occasion should be marked by renaming the stadium after the historical city which has produced a number of outstanding cricketers over the years.

FAWAD HASHMEY    
Lahore

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Naek says govt never interfered in NAB’s affairs

2013-02-09 12:58:00 (читать в оригинале)

Federal law minister Farooq H Naek. — Photo by AFP/File

KARACHI: Federal law minister Farooq H Naek on Saturday said the government had never interfered in the affairs of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), DawnNews reported.

The minister’s statement at a seminar held in a local hotel in Karachi followed a claim by NAB chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari that institutions were being used as political ammunition and that employing powers of institutions against political opponents was perilous.

Naek’s ministry is currently examining a letter sent by Bokhari to President Asif Ali Zardari. The process of review started after the presidency sought a legal opinion on the letter that has directly accused members of the superior judiciary of trying to influence the outcome of the upcoming general elections.

The ministry has been analysing all legal aspects of the letter especially with regard to the view that it contains the bureau chairman’s resignation.

Also at the seminar today, Naek said legislation was needed to eliminate corruption from the country.

He further said that mobile courts needed to be formed so that people living in rural areas had easy access to the country’s justice system.

KARACHI: Federal law minister Farooq H Naek on Saturday said the government had never interfered in the affairs of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), DawnNews reported.

The minister’s statement at a seminar held in a local hotel in Karachi followed a claim by NAB chairman Admiral (retd) Fasih Bokhari that institutions were being used as political ammunition and that employing powers of institutions against political opponents was perilous.

Naek’s ministry is currently examining a letter sent by Bokhari to President Asif Ali Zardari. The process of review started after the presidency sought a legal opinion on the letter that has directly accused members of the superior judiciary of trying to influence the outcome of the upcoming general elections.

The ministry has been analysing all legal aspects of the letter especially with regard to the view that it contains the bureau chairman’s resignation.

Also at the seminar today, Naek said legislation was needed to eliminate corruption from the country.

He further said that mobile courts needed to be formed so that people living in rural areas had easy access to the country’s justice system.