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India-Pakistan

Imran Khan suspends Justice (r) Wajihuddin's PTI membership

2015-08-06

[DAWN] Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the sharpest bulb on the national tree... on Wednesday suspended the basic party membership of retired Justice Wajihuddin Ahmad, according to a statement issued by Shireen Mazari, who is the spokesperson for the PTI chief. The statement said that the suspension came on the heels of Mr Khan’s Aug 4 notification stating that anyone discussing party matters publicly would be suspended from party membership. If their party is run like a dictatorship, how do you think they'd run the country?

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India-Pakistan

PTI's Democratic Myth

2015-06-18

[NATION.PK] It seems Wajihuddin Ahmed is fast becoming the new Javed Hashmi for Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaaf; a respected veteran that is being ostracised for trying to make the party a democratic and accountable institution. From being the party's candidate for the presidential election of 2013 to being labelled "mentally unstable" by party ranks; Justice Wajihuddin's story -- just like Javed Hashmi's -- is a stark reminder of the fate that is to befall anyone who challenges the edicts of Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems... . On Tuesday, an intra-party tribunal headed by Wajihuddin Ahmed, the retired Chief Justice of the Sindh High Court, set up to investigate rigging in PTI's intra-party polls ordered the expulsion of big shots Jehangir Tareen and Nadir Khan Leghari from the party for manipulating the polls that were held before the 2013 general election. Also in the line of fire were Pervaiz Khattak, the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa ... formerly NWFP, still Terrorism Central... chief minister, and ex-Lahore party chief Aleem Khan, both of whom were ordered to be stripped from office and barred from re-entry into the party. To this PTI contends that the tribunal was disbanded by party chairman, Imran Khan in the month of April, and thus the order holds no weight, and they are right. According to the standards of the PTI's "democratic" party charter -- in which the chairman holds unfettered and unlimited power to override and reverse any decision -- the contention is correct; PTI members are not bound by the decision, and Wajihuddin can be safely considered a rouge judge. But according to the democratic pretensions of the party and by the notions of accountability and due process that Imran Khan has so often advocated; the whole saga sinks the myth of PTI's democratic nature and shows Imran Khan to be the antithesis of what he purports to be -- an autocratic dictator. Wajihuddin's tribunal was not disbanded when he concluded his judgement and ordered immediate re-elections -- since massive irregularities were unearthed in the intra-party polls -- his tribunal was disbanded when it summoned Imran Khan to answer why new elections haven't taken place yet. Not only does this show the fact that Imran Khan wilfully chooses to ignore corruption in party ranks, it also shows how he reacts to dissent; effectively silencing it. What legitimacy remains in his pursuit of a favourable Judicial Commission verdict? In one go he has demolished the whole narrative he painstakingly built during the dharna -- with the talk of stolen mandates and accountability -- shooting his already shaky credibility in the foot. With his own house in disarray, what legitimacy does he have to preach reform to others? More shameful is the reaction of the PTI's social media contagion, which spent no time in demonising Wajihuddin and accusing him of conspiring with the PML-N; who, incidentally, only a few months ago was a paragon of integrity and living proof of PTI's honest foundations. Day by day, PTI is being joined by opportunistic electables, while politicians of merit are being chased out for daring to disagree with the mighty Khan.

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India-Pakistan

Pakistan Elects Mamnoon Hussain President

2013-07-31

[An Nahar] Pakistain on Tuesday elected businessman Mamnoon Hussain as its 12th president, state TV said, to replace deeply unpopular head of state Asif Ali Zardari, whose five-year term expires in September. Lawmakers from both houses of the national parliament and four provincial assemblies voted in the two-man race for the largely ceremonial president of the nuclear-armed state. In a sharp reminder of the challenges the country faces, dozens of heavily armed Talibs stormed a prison in the northwest overnight, escaping with more than 240 prisoners. The economy has stagnated, a debilitating power crisis needs to be solved and US relations remain complicated by American drone attacks targeting Taliban and Al-Qaeda operatives. Within minutes of the polls closing at 3pm, state media handed the vote to Hussain, based on unofficial results. The final tally is expected to be announced by the evening. Hussain, a 73-year-old businessman and close ally of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... in Pakistain's financial capital Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... had been considered certain to replace Zardari. Zardari's opposition Pakistain People's Party (PPP), which lost heavily in general elections in May, boycotted Tuesday's ballot over complaints that the vote was brought forward from August 6. The only other candidate is retired Supreme Court judge Wajihuddin Ahmed, nominated by the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... , the third largest party in parliament and led by cricket hero Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who who convinced himself that playing cricket qualified him to lead a nuclear-armed nation with severe personality problems... Hussain's loyalty to Sharif and low profile is expected to bolster the prime minister's authority and provide a stark contrast to Zardari, considered a sharp political operator behind the scenes. A long-serving member of the ruling Pakistain Moslem League-N (PML-N) party, he briefly served as governor of the southern province Sindh under Sharif's last premiership in 1999. On the eve of the election, Hussain told a PML-N meeting in the capital Islamabad that the office was a symbol of the federation of Pakistain and vowed to serve the country and its people. Hussain made money in textiles and is a former president of the Karachi Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI). "He had no political affiliation until 1999 but his polite discourse and professional ability impressed Nawaz Sharif who made him governor of Sindh," current KCCI president Azhar Haroon said. Supporters say Hussain's election could be important domestically by giving the south some stake in the federal administration, otherwise dominated by Punjab, Sharif's power base. Constitutional amendments passed by the last PPP government mean that the presidency is again a ceremonial post, a status likely to be cemented by the fact that Hussain has little personal clout. Sharif won a commanding general election victory in May, which marked the first time a Pak civilian government completed a full term in office and handed over to another at the ballot box.

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India-Pakistan

PTI wanted to boycott presidential election: Imran

2013-07-29

[Dawn] Chief of the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... (PTI) Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the sharpest bulb on the national tree... said on Sunday that his party would have boycotted the upcoming presidential election, had the party candidate, Justice (retd) Wajihuddin Ahmad, not requested for the PTI's participation in the presidential race, DawnNews reported. Khan said he agreed with the stance of the Pakistain Peoples Party (PPP) but his party was participating in the presidential elections under protest. Addressing a presser in Lahore after attending a party meeting, the PTI chief reiterated his stance that a closed-door session between himself, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... and the Army chief should precede a public forum such as the APC to curb militancy and address the overall law and order and security situation in the country. Khan said that he would not particpate in an APC if the closed-door session was not held prior to it. Moreover the PTI chief also claimed that arrangements for rigging of the local body elections were taking place on the same scale as the rigging that took place during May 11 general elections this year. He also indicated full-fledged protests would be staged on the roads and streets in order to save democracy. Later, talking to DawnNews Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Senator Pervez Rasheed said that the government was willing to hold a closed-door session with Imran Khan and the Chief of Army Staff and expressed hopes that that PTI chief would participate in the APC convened by the government.

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India-Pakistan

PPP boycotts Pakistan presidential vote

2013-07-27

Pakistan’s main opposition party announced on Friday that it would boycott next week’s election for a ceremonial head of state to protest against the manner in which the vote was brought forward. The Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday that the ballot would be held on July 30 instead of August 6 after the main ruling party complained that the original date clashed with the end of Ramadan. Many lawmakers tasked with electing a successor to President Asif Ali Zardari will be on pilgrimage or offering special prayers at the tail end of the holy fasting month, the court said. Twenty-four candidates applied to contest the vote, although the election of Mamnoon Hussain, the candidate for the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) party is considered a foregone conclusion. “We have been left with no alternative, but to boycott the election,” said Senator Raza Rabbani, the presidential candidate for the opposition Pakistan People’s Party (PPP). “The Supreme Court did not issue us any notices, nor did they hear us or provide us an opportunity to present our point of view... a unilateral decision was made,” Rabbani said. “We see it is part of moves to impose the centre’s rule again.” Pakistan’s new president will be elected by members of the upper and lower houses of parliament and of four regional assemblies. Rabbani said that the Supreme Court decision made it difficult for him and other opposition candidates to campaign in four provincial capitals and the federal capital Islamabad in just two days. Rabbani is a highly respected senator and one of the few PPP politicians who could have commanded cross-party support in the vote, although the PML-N is expected to vote as one for Hussain. The last PPP government had a turbulent relationship with Pakistan’s top court, and Rabbani said his party would struggle against the “mindset” which interfered with the election process. “The boycott is not the end of the story. The story begins here and we will continue our struggle against the current system and the mindset behind it,” Rabbani said. Pakistan Tehreek-E-Insaf, the second largest opposition party led by former cricket hero Imran Khan, said they would contest the election despite reservations over the change of schedule. “After consultations, we have decided to contest the presidential election,” Khan told a Press conference. “My party and I think the PPP is right that very little time has been given to candidates for canvassing. The election commission should have thought about this." Retired judge Wajihuddin Ahmed, a retired Supreme Court judge with a reputation for being competent and honest is the PTI’s candidate for president. Zardari was elected after the PPP won elections in 2008 following the assassination of his wife, former premier Benazir Bhutto. The PPP served a full five-year term in office, but lost heavily in May general elections won by a PML-N landslide. Zardari is hugely unpopular, reviled for alleged corruption and for presiding over a government that oversaw deteriorating economic growth and increasing attacks from the Taleban. He did, however, earn grudging admiration ...not from us... for managing to keep his coalition in power and for returning to the prime minister powers commandeered for the presidency under military dictatorships. Those constitutional amendments mean that the presidency is now a ceremonial post and Hussain, a staunch loyalist of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, has little personal clout.

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India-Pakistan

Dera blasts mastermind awarded 339 years

2012-12-07

[Dawn] An anti-terrorism court convicted the criminal mastermind of two suicide kabooms in Dera Ismail Khan ... the Pearl of Pashtunistan ... on different counts and sentenced him to 339 years rigorous imprisonment with a fine of Rs150,000. The court presided over by Mr Khwaja Wajihuddin pronounced that the prosecution proved the cases against 28-year-old Ahmad Nawaz alias Dhallu, a resident of D.I. Khan. The court also declared five of the absconding accused -- Qari Abdul Zahir alias Qari Zafar, Fazalur Rehman, Mohammad Iqbal, Qari Asif and Imran alias Khitab -- proclaimed offenders and issued their perpetual arrest warrants. In one of the incidents, four jacket wallahs had attacked the office of district police officer that resulted in the death of four policeman and injuries to seven others. A civilian was also injured in the attack. The FIR of the case was registered at Cantt cop shoppe on Jan 14, 2012. In the other incident, a suicide bomber had blown up himself near a vehicle carrying two deputy superintendents of police -- Abdul Ghafoor and Salahuddin -- and other coppers near Commissionary Bazaar on March 4, 2012. Four coppers including Abdul Ghafoor were maimed in the attack. The accused was jugged Book 'im, Mahmoud! on Sept 11, 2012. He had confessed to his crime after remaining in the custody of police. Police had also recovered certain video footages from his possession wherein he was shown guiding the suicide bombers, who had carried out the acts of terrorism. The public prosecutor, Sheikh Mohammad Jehanzeb, appeared for the state while Advocate Rab Nawaz represented the accused. In the first case, the accused was sentenced to life imprisonment on four counts under Section 302/149 of Pakistain Penal Code. He was again sentenced to life imprisonment on four counts under different sections of Anti-Terrorism Act including 7(a), 21-I and 21-J. He was further convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment under Section 120B of PPC. For injuring eight persons, the accused was convicted on eight counts and sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Similarly, he was sentenced to life imprisonment under the Explosive Substance Act. He would undergo a total of 243 years imprisonment in that case. In the second case he would undergo a total of 96 years imprisonment. The court extended the convict the benefit of Section 382-B of Criminal Procedure Code under which the period he had already spent in prison would be counted in his prison term.

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India-Pakistan

Moral policing

2012-08-09

[Dawn] NOW it is the realm of television programming and advertising that has attracted the Supreme Court's attention. Summoning the chief of the Pakistain Electronic Media Regulatory Authority in response to petitions moved by two conservative figures, the former amir of the Jamaat-e-Islami ...The Islamic Society, founded in 1941 in Lahore by Maulana Sayyid Abul Ala Maududi, aka The Great Apostosizer. The Jamaat opposed the independence of Bangladesh but has operated an independent branch there since 1975. It maintains close ties with international Mohammedan groups such as the Moslem Brotherhood. the Taliban, and al-Qaeda. The Jamaat's objectives are the establishment of a pure Islamic state, governed by Sharia law. It is distinguished by its xenophobia, and its opposition to Westernization, capitalism, socialism, secularism, and liberalist social mores... Qazi Hussain Ahmed ...the absolutely humorless, xenophobic former head of the Pak Jamaat-e-Islami. He was also head of the MMA, a coalition of religious parties formed after 2001 that eventually collapsed under the weight of the holy egos involved. Qazi was the patron of Gulbuddin Hekmatyar during the Afghan mujaheddin's war against the Soviets. His sermons are described as fiery, which means they rely heavily on gospel and not at all on logic. Qazi once recommended drinking camel pee for good health, but that was before his kidneys went... and a retired Supreme Court justice, Wajihuddin Ahmed, the court on Monday demanded action within a week against 'obscene' and 'vulgar' programming and advertisements on private TV channels aired in Pakistain. Pause for a moment and consider the various problems that afflict this country and that the court is embroiled in. That obscenity and vulgarity on television -- and this before the debate about whether the impugned content is at all obscene or vulgar -- figures in the scheme of things to fix at the highest levels at the moment is somewhat worrying. Two points need to be made here. First, the excesses that do frequently occur on television -- from content that foments religious intolerance to coverage of terrorist attacks that are insensitive to victims' families and badly handled, and from opinion-laden shows that are divorced from fact to invasion of privacy and worse in intrusive programming -- do need serious redressal. However, it's easy to be generous with someone else's money... government regulation is not the way to go. The Musharraf era epitomised the problem: even the most ardent supporters of a free and independent media in power cannot be trusted to not use government regulation to stifle media freedom. Where self-regulation thus far has failed, perhaps what the government can do is act as a controller for the creation of a regulatory body that is truly independent, professionally run along non-ideological lines and responsive to both the media's and consumers' concerns. But to trust the government with a direct and hands-on role in regulating media content is an unwelcome idea: today it is obscenity and vulgarity, tomorrow it will be the 'national interest' and 'national security' that will demand certain lines be drawn. Second, the outmoded idea of what content is vulgar or obscene needs to be discarded. Strangely, violence on television -- domestic, criminal, extrajudicial -- rarely attracts the same kind of censure as does content in which women are attired in a certain way or filmed interacting with men in a certain way. The same goes for intolerance, xenophobia, bigotry and hate spewed on TV: it doesn't attract the same kind of censure as does a woman dancing or singing lustily. The collective ownership that society wants to impose on its women is a problem itself. In the name of moral policing, Pakistain has ended up with deeply skewed priorities: keep the women covered up; let the monsters run loose.

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India-Pakistan

Qazi calls polls 'fraud with nation'

2008-02-11

All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM) chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed on Sunday urged Pakistanis to boycott the February 18 elections “as the vote is nothing but a fraud with the nation”. The APDM – an alliance of opposition parties – is boycotting the elections. “No transparent election could be held until the reinstatement of the sacked judges and an independent election commission [is] put in place,” AFP quoted Ahmed as telling a public rally in Karachi. The crowd shouted slogans against Musharraf. “Remove Musharraf, bring true democracy,” was one of many banners held by the participants of the rally. A senior police official, Athar Rashid Butt, said about 2,000 people turned up to attend the APDM rally. Ahmed said the constitution had been severely distorted by Musharraf and the army. Separately, speaking at a ‘Meet the press’ programme at Karachi Press Club, Ahmed rejected the idea of demanding a UN probe into the murder of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, APP reported. “A team comprising former judges – Wajihuddin Ahmed, Saeeduz Zaman Siddiqui and Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry – should be tasked with probing Benazir’s death,” he said, adding that investigations by “reliable Pakistanis will be much more helpful in knowing facts than a probe by foreigners”.

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India-Pakistan

JI demands 3-member inquiry committee for Benazir murder

2007-12-29

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ameer Qazi Hussain Ahmad has urged the government to constitute a three-member committee consisting of former chief justice of Pakistan Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Justice (r) Saeed-uz-Zamman and Justice (r) Wajihuddin>Wajihuddin for the inquiry of the Liaquat Bagh incident. He claimed that her killing was part of a well-planned conspiracy. “She had been receiving threats continuously since her arrival in Pakistan on October 18,” he said. In a statement issued on Friday, he said the murder of Pakistan People’s Party chairperson Mohterma Benazir Bhutto was target killing. He claimed that her killing was part of a well-planned conspiracy. “She had been receiving threats continuously since her arrival in Pakistan on October 18,” he said. He said the suicide attack on former interior minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao and firing on the rally of PML-N workers was a clear indication that the rulers had failed to protect the life and property of the Pakistanis. He said anti-Pakistani forces were behind the incidents and the government had failed to trace them. He called upon all the political parties to unite on one platform to develop a consensus on the prevailing political situation and to establish a civilian caretaker government.

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India-Pakistan

SC says spectre of martial law continues to haunt Pakistan

2007-10-23

(PTI) Pakistan's Supreme Court, hearing the legal challenge to President Pervez Musharraf's re-election in uniform, today said the issue of martial law continued to haunt the country. Justice Khalil-ur-Rehman Ramday, a member of the 11-judge bench hearing the matter, said it was not correct to say that martial law had been buried once and for all. "We kept on burying martial law every time but it is still haunting us, it is not easy to bury it," he observed. It's generals and not justices who have all the guns ... Justice Syed Jamshed Ali said the army act has been deterrent to efforts to do away with martial law. Aitzaz Ahsan, the counsel for retired judge Wajihuddin Ahmad, who unsuccessfully contested the October 6 presidential poll, said martial law could be buried if the court performed its duty. "This is the right time to bury martial law as an army chief is standing at the exit door of dictatorship. The court has to react courageously," he said. The apex court, which earlier said it would give its verdict in the matter by the end of this month, later adjourned the hearing till tomorrow. Justice Javed Iqbal, who heads the 11-member bench, has said that the court will not be deterred by fears of Musharraf imposing martial law in the event of a ruling that goes against him. The embattled military ruler swept the presidential poll that was boycotted by opposition parties but cannot be sworn in till the apex court decides on his candidature.

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India-Pakistan

Surprise! Perv Sweeps Presidential Election

2007-10-07

Pakistan’s Gen. Pervez Musharraf was elected to a third presidential term Saturday, winning a majority of the votes cast by lawmakers amid protests from opposition parties who called his candidacy unconstitutional. Dictators are kinda unconstitutional by definition, but given statements of some of the louder elements of the the Pakistained opposition I find the sentiment laughable. The Supreme Court could choose to rule Musharraf, who came to power following a bloodless coup in October 1999, ineligible to hold office. On Friday, the court barred the Election Commission from officially declaring a winner. I just can't stand the suspense... Musharraf got 252 of the 257 votes cast in the national assembly and Senate. His key rival, retired Supreme Court justice Wajihuddin Ahmad, won less than a handful. I count five left after Perv got his votes. I'd call that "a handful." Since Wajihuddin get less than a handful, I'd guess he didn't get all five. UPDATE: Called that one. Three votes for Wajihuddin. Media reports from the country’s four provinces said Musharraf won the majority of votes cast there as well. "The results show the people want continuity, stability and economic growth," Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz told Pakistan Television. Oh, sure. When it comes to stability, Perv's your man. Really. Aziz is a member of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League Quaid-e-Azam that extended support to Musharraf, along with its allies, in Saturday’s polls. Comes as a surprise, dunnit? A court hearing on Musharraf’s eligibility resumes Oct. 17. The bench is thought likely to rule in Musharraf’s favor, amid speculation that he will impose martial law if he loses the court battle. Now, you just know that the guy who wrote this typed that sentence, turned away from his machine, and laughed his ass off. You simply cannot write that sort of stuff with a straight face.

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India-Pakistan

Musharraf wins ballot for president

2007-10-06

Unofficial results on Saturday showed Pakistan's General Pervez Musharraf sweeping the presidential election. But the Supreme Court could still disqualify the military leader. Chief Election Commissioner Qazi Muhammad Farooq announced that Musharraf had won 252 of the 257 votes cast in Parliament, with three ballots judged invalid and two votes going to his main rival, retired judge Wajihuddin Ahmad. Pakistan Television reported on unofficial results that Musharraf had also swept the voting in three of Pakistan's four provinces. Vote counting had yet to start in the fourth province of Sindh. The Supreme Court ruled on Friday that the official results can only be declared after it rules on petitions lodged by Musharraf's opponents that his candidacy is unconstitutional.

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