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India-Pakistan

‘Front man’ for ex-religious affairs minister convicted

2017-01-29

[DAWN] A special court of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) on Friday convicted a ’front man’ for a former religious affairs minister, sentenced him to 30 years in prison and imposed a fine of Rs4.05 million in the Rs8.8 million Haj corruption case. Special Judge Central Malik Nazir announced the verdict according to which the convict, Ahmed Faiz, could face another 10 years’ imprisonment if he does not pay the fine. An alleged front man for former Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi, Ahmed Faiz was accused of receiving kickbacks during the process of renting "substandard" buildings for pilgrims. After being declared a proclaimed offender, Faiz was incarcerated Youse'll never take me alive coppers!... [BANG!]... Ow!... I quit! in Soddy Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual hajj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. When the oil runs out the rest of the world is going to kick sand in the Soddy national face... in July 2014 and brought back to Pakistain. The special court had on June 3 last year convicted Hamid Saeed Kazmi, former Joint Secretary Religious Affairs Ministry Raja Aftabul Islam and former Director General Haj, Rao Shakeel in the same case. During the course of the hearing on Friday, FIA’s deputy director legal Waseem Ranjha said that Ahmed Faiz was not an employee of the religious affairs ministry, but was getting the protocol of a BPS 20 officer. He said that the Pak haj mission in Saudi Arabia accommodated Faiz as real estate advisor on Kazmi’s directions. Ahmed Faiz was negotiating deals for the renting of buildings for hiring pilgrims during which he received kickbacks, Mr Ranjha alleged. According to Mr Ranjha, the accused rented substandard buildings on exorbitant rates and made huge commissions.

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India-Pakistan

Hajj corruption scandal: Former minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi sentenced to 12 years in prison

2016-06-04

[GEO.TV] Former federal minister and Pakistain People's Party (PPP) leader Hamid Saeed Kazmi has been sentenced to 12-years imprisonment in the Hajj corruption case. Hamid Saeed Kazmi was an influential minister in the government of the Pakistain People's Party that was in power from 2008-2013. He was charged with hiring a substandard building to house Pak pilgrims to Mecca in 2009, charging exorbitant rents from the travellers and receiving kickbacks. A special court also convicted two other former officials of the religious affairs ministry and tossed in the calaboose Maw! They're comin' to get me, Maw! them for 12 and 30 years, respectively. The verdict was announced today by Special Judge Central Islamabad Malik Nazir Ahmad during the proceedings of the Hajj corruption case today at a court in Islamabad. Former DG Hajj Rao Shakeel was sentenced to 30 years imprisonment by the court. Former Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Aftab Ahmed was also handed a 12-year imprisonment sentence. Deputy Director FIA Waseem Ahmad Ranjha and lawyer Chaudhry Azhar represented the FIA during the proceedings of the case. The suspects were accused of being involved in financial embezzlement and corruption with regard to the 2010 Hajj arrangements. All three suspects were jugged Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! within the court's limits by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Rao Shakeel said that he was not satisfied with the court's judgment and had full faith in the Almighty. All three convicts have the right to appeal the order at the Islamabad High Court.

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India-Pakistan

Religious figures attended Qadri’s funeral

2016-03-03

[DAWN] Many prominent religious personalities attended the funeral prayer of Mumtaz Qadri, the assassin of former Punjab 1.) Little Orphan Annie's bodyguard 2.) A province of Pakistain ruled by one of the Sharif brothers 3.) A province of India. It is majority (60 percent) Sikh and Hindoo (37 percent), which means it has relatively few Moslem riots.... governor Salmaan Taseer, at Liaquat Bagh on Tuesday. Mumtaz Qadri was hanged early on Monday morning after his clemency appeal was rejected by President Mamnoon Hussain. "The government protected snuffies and delayed their cases for several years despite the fact they killed hundreds of people but it executed Qadri in haste," said Syed Hamid Saeed Kazmi, a former federal minister for religious affairs in ex-prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani ... Pakistain's former prime minister, whose occasional feats of mental gymnastics could be awe-inspiring ... ’s cabinet, while talking to Dawn. Mr Kazmi, who arrived in the city to attend the funeral prayers, said Mumtaz Qadri killed the former governor out of his love for the holy prophet (peace be upon him). He said the huge gathering at the funeral was enough to prove that people considered Mumtaz Qadri as a martyr. Central Ruet-e-Hilal Committee chairman Mufti Muneebur Rehman added: "The presence of such a large number of people in the funeral is a referendum against the government. The government killed Mumtaz Qadri and people rejected the government’s act. I have never seen such a big gathering in any political or religious function," he said. Police and the capital administration remained on their toes throughout the day on Tuesday to ensure that the funeral procession of Mumtaz Qadri passed Islamabad to Athaal village in Bhara Kahu without any hindrance. All arrangements were put in place to meet any untoward incident.

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India-Pakistan

Nuggets From The Urdu Press

2012-10-21

Bharat eternal foe! Quoted in Nawa-e-Waqt Chief Editor Majid Nizami stated that India was Pakistain's eternal foe and as long as India existed every day in the life of Pakistain will be Defence Day. India was conspiring to deprive Pakistain of water and will remain illegally in occupation of Kashmire, he said. DPC's APC snubbed Reported in Dunya the clerical-jihadi leaders of Defence of Pakistain Council (DPC) were snubbed by opposition parties when they refused to attend an All Parties Conference (APC) to highlight Pakistain's protest at the government's efforts to normalise relations with India. 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... rejected the APC because he wanted friendship with India. Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the sharpest bulb on the national tree... said DPC represented Taliban but DPC head Maulana Samiul Haq ...the Godfather of the Taliban, leader of his own faction of the JUI. Known as Mullah Sandwich for his habit of having two young boys at a time... said the political parties refused because they did not want to offend America. ANP and Musharraf Writing in Dunya Wakil Anjum stated that in 2002 ANP leader Ajmal Khatak was asked by Musharraf to join in his new project of reviving democracy in return for giving him a special office; but when Khatak asked Isfandyar Wali he got a cold no as answer. Swati bears false witness Daily Express reported that Azam Swati of PTI had accused former Haj minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi of corruption but could not prove it at the Supreme Court. Swati said Kazmi had got bail because the proofs presented at the Court did not prove him corrupt, but the case was still on. Kazmi said that Supreme Court had rebuked Swati for swearing on the Koran falsely and had called him 'drama-baz'. India took Pakistain apart! Famous columnist Abdul Qadir Hasan wrote in Express that there was a time when India was careful about Pakistain and was not given to act impertinent (nakhray) because Pakistain governments were able to challenge it (aankh dikhana). But now after pulling Pakistain apart in 1970 India had made Pakistain a subordinate state. But after the breakup, Pakistain showed toughness and tested a nuclear device which killed the pride of Hindus. General Zia would have conquered India through warriors injected into Kashmire but America appeared on the scene and saved India. Imran should have employed Major Amir! Famous news hound Rauf Klassra wrote in Dunya that Major Amir was a great name in the world of intelligence and became known for his role in Operation Midnight Jackals ...which adventure resulted in President Zardari's sobriquet "Mr. Ten Percent"... against the government he served, after which he was tried for treason. He suffered imprisonment along with his children during the Musharraf era. Major Amir was full of anecdotes that will not bore anyone. It was a wonder that he was consulted by both Zardari and Nawaz Sharif. Columnist Haroon Rasheed had once sighed deeply and said Imran should have listened to him and appointed Major Amir as his political adviser. Klassra agreed with him. National security state not viable! Columnist Saleem Safi wrote in Jang that gunnies in India and Pakistain did not want trade between the two states and will go on trying to break the momentum of normalisation. Pak gunnies wanted the state to remain a national security state which was no longer viable because the masses could not improve their lot under it. Pakistain continued to think that India had snatched Kashmire and will block Pakistain's water. Angel of Death and Chief Justice Writing about the fictional deaths of Pakistain's top people poet Zafar Iqbal wrote in Dunya that when Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry was buried in his files the Angel of Death appeared and stood by his side. The CJ was about to take suo motu ...a legal term, from the Latin. Roughly translated it means I saw what you did, you bastard... action against the Angel when he advanced on the judge and put an end to him (kaam tamam). Namaz Janaza of CJ was led by PM Raja Pervez Ashraf who thanked Allah for it (death) and dirt was thrown on the coffin inside the grave by registrar Faqir Hussain. ISI hates America! Golly gee, what a shock that is, Daily Express quoted Dr Shakeel Afridi under arrest for aiding America to discover and kill the late Osama bin Laden ... who is now among the dear departed, though not among the dearest... as saying that the ISI had tortured him and said to him that America was ISI's greatest enemy. He said ISI helped Haqqani network attack Americans in Afghanistan. Afridi was forced to imitate a dog while eating his food. Indians hate Pakistain! They ought to, but really it's the other way round. Daily Nawa-e-Waqt reported that 59 percent Indians were intensely opposed to Pakistain but 77 percent wanted to sort out the Kashmire dispute. Only 13 percent Indians had a favourable view of Pakistain; 60 percent of the Hindus feared danger from Pakistain. But 60 percent Paks and Indians wanted trade relations to improve. Doomed universities in Pakistain Writing in Dunya Nazir Naji stated that in Pakistain enlightened and future-oriented teachers were mercilessly ousted and a crop of students was raised that penetrated the state institutions and infected them with bigotry. They fought the war against the Soviet Union for America and raised a whole new crop of reactionary persons that was to haunt Pakistain later. Elsewhere too Ikhwan in Egypt were busy rolling back tolerance and bringing into force laws that will curtail civic freedoms and persecute non-Mohammedan minorities. India dominates Pak TV channels Famous columnist Abdul Qadir Hasan lamented in Express that most Pak TV channels were showing Indian dramas and movies and even ads were featuring Indian movie stars. Hafiz Saeed and Bal Thakeray Reported in Nawa-e-Waqt when Indian foreign minister Krishna called on Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif he complained that Pakistain's Hafiz Muhammad Saeed ...who would be wearing a canvas jacket with very long sleeves anyplace but Pakistain... spewed hatred of India on a daily basis and that he should be stopped. The chief minister instead replied that India had its Bal Thakerey too who was doing the same sort of thing against Pakistain. Vice Chancellor spills beans Quoted in Dunya Vice Chancellor Punjab University Kamran Mujahid speaking to his academic staff on the subject of 9/11 revealed that Americans had staged the attack on New York and Washington through its agencies to find an excuse to attack the Islamic world. He added the important piece of news that in 2006 Pakistain had found Osama bin Laden dead and, after identifying him through a DNA test, handed his corpse over to the Americans who then brought it over to Abbottabad ... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden.... and planted it in a house after attacking it. The Abbottabad operation was done to bring Pakistain under pressure and punish the Mohammedans. Aitzaz on 'two offices' Quoted in Jinnah Barrister Aitzaz Ahsan stated that no court could summon President Zardari on keeping two offices but if the institutions crossed their legal limits then ill-effects would follow. He said not writing a letter to the Swiss authorities was not against the Constitution. Imran turns away from North Wazoo Reported in Dunya Imran Khan had been advised by his inner circle not to go to North Waziristan but confine his long march comprising 100,000 followers to South Waziristan. Rimsha not under-age Daily Jinnah reported that people were not happy the way Rimsha Masih had been awarded bail after her arrest for burning the pages of the Holy Koran. When she was being taken out of jail she looked to be 20 instead of under-age and additionally the proof against the accuser by Hafiz Zubair was not considered acceptable. It was rumoured that the Christian girl was being let off the hook under international pressure.

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India-Pakistan

Haj corruption case: Hamid Saeed Kazmi granted bail

2012-08-28

[Dawn] A court in Rawalpindi on Monday granted bail to former Minister for Religious Affairs Hamid Saeed Kazmi, who was placed in long-term storage Please don't kill me! last year for his alleged involvement in the Haj corruption scam, DawnNews reported. The court ordered that Kazmi be immediately released after granting him bail against two surety bonds of Rs 100,000 each. Kazmi had submitted his request for bail on Aug 10, 2012. Two years ago, the former religious affair minister was slapped with allegations of involvement in the Haj corruption scandal, and inflicting huge losses to the national coffers. After which a case was registered leading to Kazmi's arrest on March 15, 2011. Kazmi was subsequently indicted on charges of corruption in the case on May 30, 2012, to which he pleaded not guilty "Wudn't me." The former minister, speaking to media representatives following his release from jail today, reiterated that he was innocent, and expressed the hope that justice would be served.

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India-Pakistan

Extremists roam free as politicos bicker

2012-02-08

[Dawn] Interior Minister Rehman Malik Pak politician, current Interior Minister under the Gilani administration. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. He later joined the Pak Peoples Party and was chief security officer to Bhutto. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Nawaz Sharif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. wants the Punjab government to take to task its officials who allegedly let two firebrand ...firebrands are noted more for audio volume and the quantity of spittle generated than for any actual logic in their arguments... leaders of the banned Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistain ...a Sunni Deobandi organization, a formerly registered Pak political party, established in the early 1980s in Jhang by Maulana Haq Nawaz Jhangvi. Its stated goal is to oppose Shia influence in Pakistain. They're not too big on Brelvis, either. Or Christians. Or anybody else who's not them. The organization was banned in 2002 as a terrorist organization, but somehow it keeps ticking along, piling up the corpse counts... (SSP) sneak into Islamabad last Friday to make provocative speeches, Dawn learned on Monday. Having "snuck" (or maybe it's "sneaked," I'm not sure), doesn't it negate the sneakiness when you give a speech? Especially a high-spittle content stem-winder? Police sources here said the interior ministry had demanded the Punjab home department take action against the administration and coppers of Kamalia and Khanewal who failed to prevent Maulana Mohammad Ahmed Ludhianvi and Maulana Mohammad Khalid Dhillon from leaving their hometowns in violation of restrictions imposed on the leaders of the banned SSP under Section 11 of the Anti-Terrorism Act. Such "restrictions" don't include anything about iron bars making a prison or breaking up big ones to make little ones... Interior Minister Rehman Malik's ire was aroused when he was made target of ridicule in National Assembly on Friday for what friends and foes accused his ministry of sleeping over the activities of hate-mongers and terrorists. Ahah! The "wudn't me" defense! The very next day the minister suspended SHO Irshad Abro of Margalla Police Station for not arresting the two sneaky leaders ... or maybe "snucky" leaders? for making provocative speeches and display of hate material and banners at a religious ceremony. According to the sources, the ceremony had been a long tradition and the Margalla police came to know about the presence of the leaders only because it was there to provide security. It was considered prudent not to incite religious frenzy by arresting them. However, you can observe a lot just by watching... the event was noted in the cop shoppe's daily diary and the senior officers were informed same night about the unexpected presence of the SSP leaders the same night. Paperwork was started but nothing else was done against them on Sunday. But the FIR was sealed because of the sensitive nature of the case, the sources said. They claimed that the organisers of the Paighumber-e-Islam. Conference had met the Margalla police on Thursday and assured that no banned leader would be attending nor any hate speeches be made at the conference, a tradition going on for 18 years. Several sitting politicians addressed the conference. It may be that law does not allow banned ...the word banned seems to have a different meaning in Pakistain than it does in most other places. Or maybe it simply lacks any meaning at all... organizations and their leaders to remain in business, but what seemed to arouse the federal government to action was politics. It was Minister of State for Health Sheikh Waqas Akram of PML-Q, who on Friday rubbished the government's anti-terrorism efforts "a drama." He said he knew that a Paighumber-e-Islam Conference planned in Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It may be the largest city in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... Company that day as part of Eid-e- Milad-un-Nabi celebrations was in fact meant to provide a stage for religious faceless myrmidons to spread venom. Former religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi, who is under detention facing fraud charges and attends the assembly on parole, interjected that families of the judges trying cases of terrorism have been receiving threats. Even PML-N's Sahabzada Fazal Karim joined the criticism of the freedom gun-hung tough guys groups enjoyed in the country. He said the Punjab government allowed the Defence of Pakistain Council hold a rally at Minar-e-Pakistain in Lahore but denied the same venue to Sunni Tehrik ...formed in Karachi in 1992 under by Muhammad Saleem Qadri. It quickly fell to trading fisticuffs and liquidations with the MQM and the Sipah-e-Sahaba, with at least a half dozen of its major leaders rubbed out. Sunni Tehreek arose to become the primary opposition to the Deobandi Binori Mosque, headed by Nizamuddin Shamzai, who was eventually bumped off by person or persons unknown. ST's current leadership has heavily criticized the Deobandi Jihadi leaders, accusing them of being sponsored by Indian Intelligence agencies as well as involvement in terrorist activities... .

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India-Pakistan

SC rejects Hamid Saeed Kazmi's bail application

2011-08-03

[Dawn] The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected the bail application of former minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi in the Haj corruption case, DawnNews reported. A two-judge bench of the apex court headed by Justice Jawwad Khwaja heard the plea requesting bail for the former minister. The bench rejected the application after hearing the arguments. During the proceedings, Additional Attorney General K K Agha said that evidence had been found of the involvement of Mr Kazmi, MNA Shagufta Jumani and Joint Secretary Raja Aftab Islam in the corruption. Mr Agha further stated that the government would not protect the corrupt in its ranks.

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India-Pakistan

PPP asks MQM to reconsider decision

2011-06-29

[Dawn] Although the People's Party faces no threat to its governments at the centre and in Sindh, it has asked the Muttahida Qaumi Movement ...English: United National Movement, generally known as MQM, is the 3rd largest political party and the largest secular political party in Pakistain with particular strength in Sindh. From 1992 to 1999, the MQM was the target of the Pak Army's Operation Cleanup leaving thousands of urdu speaking civilians dead... to 'reconsider' its decision of quitting the ruling coalition. On the other hand, the MQM, which has been a part of governments at the centre and in the province for over a decade, has claimed that "this time we are determined to stick to our decision". "For the time being, the party's doors are closed for the PPP," said Wasay Jalil, an MQM front man and member of the party's coordination committee. A front man for PPP co-chairman and President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari ... sticky-fingered husband of the late Benazir Bhutto ... told Dawn that the presidency had not received the resignations of Sindh Governor Ishratul Ibad or the Muttahida's ministers. Mr Zardari is currently in London on a private visit. Farhatullah Babar, who was scheduled to reach London by Tuesday morning, said the PPP would continue to pursue the policy of reconciliation in the interest of political stability and would "urge the governor to reconsider his decision to resign". Mr Babar said the issues facing the country and, particularly Sindh, were "too many" and "complex". He called for strengthening the ongoing policy of reconciliation with all political forces. The front man expressed the hope that the Sindh governor would reconsider the decision. In reply to a query, Mr Babar said no meeting between the President and Muttahida chief Altaf Hussain was scheduled during Mr Zardari's stay in London. However, there's more than one way to stuff a chicken... Mr Babar did not rule out the possibility of a meeting between the two leaders in the wake of the recent development. He said the president would be staying in London till July 2 and that he would only be able to confirm any such meeting only after reaching there. Wasay Jalil, a front man for MQM, said the party's decision was "final as it has been taken after a thorough review of the situation and after consultations within the party". THE PRESIDENT'S SISTER: Zahid Mehmood, the MQM's coordinator for Punjab, held PPP MNA Faryal Talpur, the sister of President Asif Zardari, responsible for the crisis, alleging that she had been supporting a particular candidate for the AJK polls and it was because of her insistence that the PPP even sacrificed its alliance with the MQM. He said the MQM felt that the PPP's attitude had become "dictatorial after it won the support of the Pakistain Mohammedan League-Q as it no more required the MQM's support for getting the budget passed in the National Assembly". Mr Mehmood said Sindh Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah was a figurehead as the government was being run by people like Faryal Talpur, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, Agha Siraj Durrani and Nadir Magsi. A love-and-hate game between the two parties has continued since the formation the coalition government in 2008, with the MQM coming out of the federal cabinet and even the federal government once and threatening several times to walk out of the Sindh coalition. This time, however, the chances of a patch-up, according to some political experts, seem to be slim because the MQM is not ready to trust even Interior Minister Rehman Malik Pak politician, current Interior Minister under the Gilani administration. Malik is a former Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) intelligence officer who rose to head the FIA during Benazir Bhutto's second tenure. He later joined the Pak Peoples Party and was chief security officer to Bhutto. Malik was tossed from his FIA job in 1998 after documenting the breath-taking corruption of the Sharif family. By unhappy coincidence Näwaz Shärif became PM at just that moment and Malik moved to London one step ahead of the button men. , who had always played a role of a mediator between the two parties in the past due to his personal relations with MQM chief Altaf Hussain. INTERESTING TIMES The country has been facing political turmoil since the day the then Sindh home minister, Dr Zulfiqar Mirza, made a controversial speech in Bloody Karachi on Dec 13 last year, and also after the sacking of Religious Affairs Minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi and JUI-F's minister Azam Swati over the Haj scam the following day. Angered by the sacking of Mr Swati, the JUI-F announced parting of ways with the PPP-led coalition government and decided to sit on the opposition benches. On the same day, the MQM gave a 10-day ultimatum to the PPP asking it to explain Dr Mirza's remarks blaming the MQM for murders in Bloody Karachi. On the expiry of the deadline the MQM quit the federal cabinet and its two ministers submitted their resignations to President Zardari. Later the MQM decided to sit on the opposition benches when the government raised oil prices. However, there's more than one way to stuff a chicken... when the government withdrew the increase in oil prices and the prime minister visited the MQM's headquarters in Bloody Karachi in January, the party announced that it would again sit on treasury benches, but categorically refused to join the federal cabinet. At that time, the MQM had stated that although the main concern for the party was the law and order situation in Bloody Karachi, the government's decision to raise oil prices had just provided the party an opportunity to quit the ruling coalition. The 25-member MQM rejoined the federal government last month when it was left with no other option due to an intelligent move by PPP to lure the PML-Q into the cabinet and sidelining of Dr Zulfiqar Mirza by President Zardari. The recent AJK elections finally ended the marriage of inconvenience between the two parties. The numerical strength of the political parties shows that the PPP now enjoys a comfortable majority both in the National and Sindh assemblies. Even without the MQM, the PPP, which has 128 MNAs, enjoys the support of some 200 MNAs in the 342-member lower house -- thanks to the PML-Q's decision to join the ruling coalition. The MQM's decision is not expected to affect the PPP's government in Sindh as the party enjoys a comfortable majority in the Sindh Assembly with more than 100 MPAs sitting on the treasury benches in the 168-member house. The composition is very interesting as representatives of all political parties, whether sitting on treasury or opposition benches, are members of the provincial cabinet. The opposition leader in the Sindh Assembly, Madad Ali Khan, is from the Pakistain Mohammedan League-Functional (PML-F), whereas two members of the party are ministers and two others are advisers to the chief minister.

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India-Pakistan

Kazmi arrested in Hajj corruption case

2011-03-16

[Geo News] Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has placed in durance vile former religious minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi in Hajj corruption scandal after dismissal of his bail plea by the court, Geo News reported on Tuesday. According to Geo News news hound, court was hearing extension of bail case of Kazmi. During the hearing lawyer of Kazmi presented his argument but following some solid evidences from FIA the court dismissed his bail plea. Later, FIA placed in durance vile the former minister outside the courtroom.

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India-Pakistan

Kazmi's arrest warrants issued

2011-02-11

[Geo News] An Islamabad court has issued arrest warrants for ex-religious affairs minister Hamid Saeed Kazmi after Federal Investigations Agency (FIA) got evidences about kickbacks former minister received in Haj arrangements, Geo News reported.

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India-Pakistan

Fazl meets Zardari, sets two conditions for return

2010-12-19

[Pak Daily Times] Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman Known as Mullah Diesel during the war against the Soviets, his sympathies for the Taliban have never been tempered by honesty ... set two conditions for his party's return to the coalition government in a meeting with President Asif Ali President Ten Percent Zardari ... husband of the late Benazir Bhutto, who showed remarkably little curiosity about who actually done her in ... who stopped him at the Presidency right after the dinner hosted in honour of the Chinese prime minister, a private TV channel reported on Saturday. The JUI-F demanded apology from the PPP-led government over dismissing Azam Swati besides two more ministries in the Centre. Neatly cutting off their access to the swag they were entitled to by their excessive holiness or something. The two-hour long meeting was the outcome of positive dialogue between Maulana Fazlur Rehman and Federal Interior Minister Rehman Malik earlier in the day. The purpose of the meeting was to clarify misunderstandings which emerged after the dismissal of the two ministers, Azam Swati and Hamid Saeed Kazmi. Rehman Malik also offered to give Science and Technology Ministry back to him and also asked him to rejoin the coalition, the channel said. Fazl said he would discuss his offer during his party's meeting on December 22. He said he was still waiting for the decision of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) and the Pakistain Mohammedan League-Quaid (PML-Q).

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India-Pakistan

Kazmi terms removal a conspiracy

2010-12-15

Is there anything in Pakistain that's not a conspiracy? They conspire over their corn flakes, fergawdsake! [Dawn] The sacked Minister for Religious Affairs, Hamid Saeed Kazmi, on Tuesday maintained that his removal had come becuase of the slanging match between him and another minister, and not on corruption charges. Speaking at an urs ceremony on the outskirts of Lahore, he termed his removal a conspiracy by a "particular lobby which was after me from the outset". "All my defence, which came from respected people like Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan, fell on the deaf ears. Had there been any truth in the corruption charges, I would have resigned myself. I feel relaxed after the removal as a big load has been lifted," Mr Kazmi said. "Rumors were preferred over facts, but everything will become clear soon," Mr Kazmi said, terming the 'campaign' against him a "trial by media". The former federal minister, who belongs to the Barelvi school of thought, gave a call to Ulema and Mashaikh to unite to lend support to the people of their sect who attain high positions.

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