ISLAMABAD: The PML-N has demanded of President Asif Ali Zardari to constitute a high-level commission, headed by a judge of the Supreme Court, to hold an inquiry into the Kargil issue. Addressing a press conference here on Monday, PML-N leader Siddiqul Farooq said the inquiry commission should be directed to submit its report, along with its recommendations, within three months. In this connection, he also reminded Zardari of his commitment to hold accountable dictators, whether…
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GILGIT, July 27: The Northern Areas Legislative Assembly will not be able to discuss the budget for the region as after dissolution of the cabinet there is no one to present the budget for 2009-10 in the house. Speaking at a session of the assembly on Monday, Nala Speaker Malik Mohammad Miskeen said that since the treasury members were no more advisers after dissolution of the cabinet, there would again be seat management in the…
By Khalid Mustafa ISLAMABAD: The $11.3 billion Diamer-Bhasha Dam has hit snags due to 100-kilometre realignment of the Karakoram Highway (KKH), as the National High Authority (NHA) has jacked up its cost projections by a whopping 45 per cent, which is sure to increase the project cost manifold. As a result, sources said, the Wapda had decided to go the course alone and show the door to the NHA. Wapda has also conveyed to the…
Pakistan and France have a history of defence procurement/sales stretching back decades. The navy had its first Daphne-class submarines in 1971, succeeded by the Agosta 70s and 90s both equipped with the Exocet subsurface-to-surface missile. Exocets also equip our Sea King helicopters. We have for decades used the French Breguet Atlantique maritime reconnaissance aircraft; which is now rather long in the tooth and being replaced by the more capable P3C Orion. French Mirage fighters preceded…
By Abbas Ali GILGIT-BALTISTAN is a simmering cauldron of discontent. The continued deprivation of political, economic and human rights is driving the people of this strategic northern end of Pakistan to desperation. They have been fighting for their rights not just since 1947, when they won liberation from Dogra rule, but since Dogra occupation of 1848. A brief review of history will be in order to understand the current hostile attitude of the people towards…
By Zulfiqar Ghuman ISLAMABAD: Minister for Kashmir Affairs and the Northern Areas Qamar Zaman Kaira on Saturday dissolved the seven-member Northern Areas cabinet – two days ahead of its scheduled annual budget, Daily Times has learnt. “Yes, the cabinet has been dissolved, but the council is intact,” Mirza Hussain, an adviser on revenue to Northern Areas Council, told Daily Times. Hussain said although the minister had the authority to dissolve the cabinet and even the…
The Daily Times, July 24 The French minister said Pakistan was going through a difficult phase, adding that France would not only provide financial aid, but would also help in capacity building of its armed forces. She said France would provide modern equipment to tackle terrorism. The French official hoped that Pakistan would be successful in implementing democracy and fighting terrorism. Idrac said France had pledged 300 million euros in aid for Pakistan at the…
Washington—The United States is installing radiation detectors at Pakistani ports to check proliferation of nuclear material and weapons of mass destruction to and from the country, a top US official on nuclear security has said. “We do work with Pakistan with the Department of Homeland Security, on Secure Freight Initiative, in putting radiation detectors in their ports. One port is done. Karachi is the second port. We’re negotiating that type of work”, said Thomas D’Agostino,…
ISLAMABAD: Adviser to the Prime Minister on Water Kamal Majidullah on Friday shocked the authorities concerned and development planners when he vehemently opposed the construction of $11.8 billion Diamer-Bhasha Dam in a meeting of the Central Development Working Party (CDWP), The News has learnt. The meeting was chaired by Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali.The regime, since long, has been claiming that work on the dam portion will kick off in the current…
The writer is a former member of the Pakistan Foreign Service. In hearing a case challenging the appointment of the chief justice of the Azad Kashmir Supreme Court, the Supreme Court of Pakistan on July 2 sought written statements from the Pakistan government and the prime minister, in his capacity as chairman of the Azad Kashmir Council, on whether or not the Supreme Court of Pakistan has jurisdiction over the affairs of Azad Kashmir. The…
The writer is a journalist and has extensive experience of monitoring in disasters I was so late. It was almost one thirty in the hot June afternoon and I was feeling guilty about having kept everyone waiting, but I couldn’t help it. The under-construction road was a torture to travel on and it took nearly two hours to reach Karika from Muzaffarabad. Jawad was asleep by the time I reached there. He looked adorable with…